


Love, identity and the restoration

by iamafraidofmajorasmask



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Akkala, Amnesia, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hateno Village, Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village, Light Angst, Link's POV, Minor Character Death, Slow Romance, Zelda's POV, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 35,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29397990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamafraidofmajorasmask/pseuds/iamafraidofmajorasmask
Summary: But like the pictographs in the Sheikah Slate, his memories had faded dull with time. He didn’t know how he felt for the girl and didn’t remember how she did either. He didn’t want to assume he was in love as his new self had never even met her, but the way his heart ardently missed her filled his mind with possibilities. Warrior wielding the soul of a hero and a princess that carries the blood of the Goddess, he thought. It sounded like a fairy tale and how that story would end was yet for him to discover.Post BotW story about a boy who desperately tries to make sense of the world around him and a girl who swore everything would be different this time.Contains some dark themes, cw will be at the beginning of each chapter.Updates on Sundays.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Kudos: 13





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> this is the preface for my post BotW story, the actual first chapter is coming next Sunday. 
> 
> This is the first time I post here so this is a sort of practice for next week. :)

His memories much resembled the pictographs in the Sheikah Slate. In addition to being from the same places, his memories too, were flat and still, unable to show him much more than the situation he was in. Thoughts, feelings, opinions that he had before that fateful day were still hard for him to understand. Like a child, he had to experience things for the first time and decide whether he liked them or not. It almost felt like digging into another man’s life, trying to fit into the shoes of someone else. The ghost of the last King that ruled the wasteland told him a tale of an epic hero who fought fearlessly and died an honorable death, and to hear it was his story made the little understanding he had about the world come crashing down. The first few days of his new life had been painful and he was mortified to learn he would not know peace for a very long time. 

A year had passed from this realization and for what it was worth he had been right. But the shoes of a legendary hero had started to fit a little better, even though he knew he would never live up to the stories that had been told about him for the past hundred years. The time to face the demon that a year ago he was sure would be the end of him, was soon ahead and during this time the paralyzing fear had turned into rage and resentment. He had learnt what the beast had taken from him and with the force of a man with nothing to lose he ran into battle.

Only one thing he fought to stay alive for. Somewhere, deep inside the castle was a girl who believed in him with all her heart. All this time she had waited for him and Link was not about to let that be for nothing. He remembered the girl, he remembered how they would travel the lands of Hyrule together, how she struggled to awaken her power and how they always stood by each other, until the very end. 

But like the pictographs in the Sheikah Slate, his memories had faded dull with time. He didn’t know how he felt for the girl and didn’t remember how she did either. He didn’t want to assume he was in love as his new self had never even met her, but the way his heart ardently missed her filled his mind with possibilities. Warrior wielding the soul of a hero and a princess that carries the blood of the Goddess, he thought. It sounded like a fairy tale and how that story would end was yet for him to discover.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You didn’t find all the places shown in the Sheikah Slate, you didn’t recall all the memories. You made Link face Ganon with blind spots in his mind and now he has to start over his life without truly even knowing himself or the girl he saved. What are these strange feelings inside him, what is his past self trying to tell? And why is this girl so important to him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 35th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series!
> 
> So the day is finally here. I have been working on this project on and off for about eight months and I can't believe I'm finally uploading it here for other people to see. This is the first story I've ever posted and I'm nervous but also excited!
> 
> The story is about six to seven chapters long and I'll post a new chapter every Sunday. I am currently also writing my bachelor's thesis so I hope I can keep up with this schedule but if I can't, I'll let you know. If I feel a content warning is in place it'll be at the end of the note before every chapter. 
> 
> So, without further ado I sincerely hope you like my story and that it offers you entertainment in these trying times.
> 
> Content warnings:  
> Mentions of death

**Chapter One**

He didn’t remember much of the actual situation. The fight had been long and there was blood in his mouth and over his body. The sword didn’t feel heavy in his hand, though. Neither did the bow made by the grace of Goddess. A blinding light hurt his head and after it dimmed the universe felt different. There was a girl there. She said something but he didn’t hear or understand. The adrenaline made his head spin. 

He remembered embracing her. She was warm and familiar, her dress felt brittle and worn but her skin was soft, her hair light and smooth. He heard her laugh as he lifted her on his lap and that laughter made him finally realize the fight was over, that Ganon was no more. Somehow they ended up in the grass and laid there for a long time. Long enough that he came to question if anything that he experienced was even real. But it was, the girl next to her was the proof.

He fell asleep in the grass. When he awoke, it was still bright and insects were chirping around them. The girl was there, her head on his chest. He didn’t remember if that was something that they used to do, but it didn’t matter. He was so tired and so glad she was here. 

They cried together. He cried, too. He didn’t know why, he didn’t remember. It was his body, reacting to something he didn’t quite understand. There were lots of emotions there that he didn’t know the purpose of. He had never met this girl in his life, his new life, but somehow she was the most important thing to him. 

It was a strange feeling. He remembered, he knew her voice and her face. They were so familiar to him but as they laid there for hours he realized that her body was not. Not the touch of her. She stroked her thumb on his thigh and that was new for him. The feel of her hair as he ran his fingers through it. It was all new for him and his old self. There was a lot to uncover about the relationship of Zelda and Link. Whatever it would turn out to be he knew this would always be one of the happiest moments of his life.

Link wanted to take her to his house. Together they could stay there, live their lives simply. Maybe they could purchase a piece of land and grow something. Rice perhaps? The hills of Hateno Village were perfect for that. Link had a horse, it could help them with sowing. He could work, and Zelda could… Do whatever she wanted, really. Link knew she loved to study and read, so perhaps she could be a teacher? Or she could work with Purah in her laboratory. Yes, she would probably love that. 

She could help him remember. Or perhaps forget. He could create new, happier memories with her. Link didn’t remember if he had been in love with her before, but maybe he could fall in love with her again. Maybe they could get married. He would carry her through the door of his home, they would spin around and only see each other for a moment. Maybe they could start a family. There would be no more fighting. No more killing. Just peace and quiet and happier times. 

That was what he thought about while laying there in the grass. It was a mere daydream, he knew that it was never going to happen. She would have to try to help her people, help the nation rise back up on its feet. He would stand by her, if she had him. But in that moment he let himself dream, imagine a life full of love and laughter, late mornings and peaceful nights.

* * *

She was still wearing that same dress from a hundred years ago. The leather on her sandals was falling apart and the soles were coming off. She wondered if she still looked the same. Had the century of hopelessness, longing and suffering changed her. It had changed the boy. Someone else would probably say he looked exactly the same but no one knew him like her. He was skinnier, there were less muscles on his bones. His hair was longer and unkept. His eyes, before so concentrated and firm, now tired and inexpressive. There was a new kind of emptiness behind them. She asked him if he remembered her but he didn’t answer. 

It was all so strange for her. The touch of grass on her toes and the feeling of light breeze on her hair. The touch of another human on her skin, so long yearned for. It didn’t feel real even though it was the realest thing she had experienced since the day of the great calamity. Everything after that had been like a dream, it almost felt like no time had passed at all. 

She wondered if she was a stranger to him. They held each other tight like lovers but that didn’t mean he knew her. It only meant that the war was over and they needed the support of one another. He might even not remember himself. She had followed his journey at the best of her ability, every time he was in danger she felt it and feared for him. She tried to help him as much as possible, but she couldn’t make him remember. They left the Sheikah Slate for him but she didn’t know if the information in it would help him at all. In the end he was alone. She wasn’t there, however much she wanted to and she could only hope the Shrine of Resurrection had not broken him. 

She was so worried for Link she hardly even remembered to wonder if she was broken herself. For a hundred years she had truly become the Goddess whose blood flowed inside her. She didn’t know if she was in or outside her body, if she was in this reality or not. All she knew was that her powers were dying out and she needed him to come save her. She didn’t know if she had lost her memory herself, all that had happened was so long in the past no one could know if her memories were real or not. But she did have them. She remembered Link. She remembered his death and how it destroyed her. So much so that the very core of her soul had no chance but to act, to do something. In the end it was self-defence, she was protecting herself from the agony of losing Link.

She wondered what he thought about while laying there in the grass. If he thought about anything at all. Did he think of her? Did he think about his future? Did he want her in it? It was so familiar to lay there silently and wonder what was going on in the head of that boy. The last year of her past life consisted much of that, and how wonderful it felt to do it again, even though it had caused her great distress before. It was one of the simple pleasures she had taken for granted. 

She asked him to go, to save himself. What a dangerous request that had been. Had he listened to her, he would now be dead. Much of his body seemed to have already stopped working when the guardian charged it’s laser at him. He might have not realized that would be the end of him, but somehow she did. She felt it in her heart that if she didn't do something she would lose him forever. Time stopped and everything felt crystal clear, for a moment she understood everything, not only about herself, but of the whole world. She didn’t raise her hand herself, it was something, _someone_ else, all the incarnations of Goddess Hylia that had lived before her. She understood, as if they had told her, that it was now her time. Perhaps they knew the hero was in danger and she was the only one who could save him, or perhaps somehow, she called for them herself. Everything was clear to her now, she knew Link was going to die and that she could not live without him. The spirits told her to raise her hand and she finally received the blessing that had always belonged to her.

It should not have been possible. After finally finding her power, it should not have been possible that she still couldn't save him. All those who came before her led her way but still he was on the ground, and once she lifted him on her lap, their eyes met for the last time and his last breath left him. The heaviness of a dead body was something she could have never prepared herself for. As she held him, life without Link flashed through her mind. It was foolish, she knew there wouldn’t be one. But in her head she imagined his funeral, a casket where he would lay and she would never see him again. It would be lowered into the ground and there he would stay. There would be no one after him. 

She heard the sword, it called for her. It was a part of his soul and for it to still be alive meant there was a chance. She didn’t know if it would work and that fear festered in her mind for a hundred years. But she never forgot him, she never gave up on him. Even when she seemed to have forgotten herself he stayed in her mind. His body was out there somewhere and for his resurrection she would wait until the end of time, until Ganon had absorbed the last bit of her divine power. 

And now he was here. A broken, beaten and hollow version of him, but he was here. They were both alive and would get a chance at life one more time. This time it would be different, she promised herself. This time she wouldn’t wait until it was too late, she wouldn’t let embarrassment or insecurity stop her. The only thing she needed to know was if he remembered her. Did he remember the times they had, all those moments they clearly ached for each other but let something stop them? Was he still the same boy he used to be, and was she the girl she was before the end of the world? That was all she needed to know now.

* * *

“Link.” A woman’s voice gently pulled him awake.

“Link. Wake up.” He realized his eyes were open as a light shined on them and he frowned. Slowly he started to gain awareness of his body and noticed it was soaked. In the bright room he could make out the shade of a woman, the woman who had just spoken to him. He tore his tongue off the roof of his mouth to answer but found his mouth and throat dry as sand. It was so incredibly hot and he was parched. The woman crouched down to look at him.

“Are you awake Master Link?” She placed her hand on his forehead. 

“The fever has gone down, good. Grandmother asked me to bring you fresh water.” He recognized her as Paya, granddaughter of the eldest in the village. The village where she and Impa lived… Yes, Kakariko Village. The events of the last days started to come back to him slowly and his eyes widened.

“Zelda.”

“Sorry?” 

Link tried to get up but a thick layer of blankets stopped him.

“Please, Master Link you shouldn- Please stay put I will ask her to come see you.” Paya said while gently tucking Link deeper into the blankets. As soon as she turned her back he slid one of his feet free. The cooler air felt good on his sweaty skin and after a moment of struggle he found his way out under the covers and sat up. Paya had left the cup on a nightstand and as he reached for it he felt his muscles ache. The sliding door opened and another woman came in, gasping gently.

“Oh, don’t… Let me help.” She handed the cup to him and as he took it a familiar colour on her blouse caught his eye. He followed it up her sleeve to the collar, and above it he saw the most gentle and beautiful face. As he met her eyes he realized how messy he must have looked himself and tried to straighten his posture. Zelda smiled and sat next to him. 

“How are you feeling?” She asked as she too placed her hand on his forehead. 

“It seems you are getting better.” Link remembered he had not yet drunk from the cup she handed him and took a sip while nodding. Both were silent for a moment and Link tried to find something to say. He opened his throat slightly but still his voice was hoarse.

“How long did I um… sleep?” Zelda smiled and looked at her hands.

“Well… after we arrived at Kakariko you have slept for some time. Eleven hours to be exact. But it’s good you did, I hope you are feeling better.” Link remembered he started to get very tired while they rode to Kakariko from Hyrule Field and felt unwell in the last hours of the journey. They met with Impa but he couldn’t focus on what they were talking about, all he could think of was how he needed to go lie down. Paya lent him her room as the others realized he was ill and after that he woke up. He did indeed feel a little better now.

“Before that you slept for quite a long time.” She lifted her face and looked as if she was trying to hold back a wide smile.

“I am glad you woke up.” Link didn’t know how to answer that. He was glad too and happy she was here, but didn’t find the words to say it so he simply nodded.

After a moment's pause she started to tell him about everything she had already seen and learnt. She was astonished to see her old royal advisor Impa and explained what she had told her about life after she left to face Ganon. Impa had told her about his journey to her and some things about what had happened after he woke up. She talked and talked and Link had to switch positions now and then as his muscles started to go to sleep. Regardless he listened with pleasure, even when he felt the fever slowly rising up again. When she talked to him about everything she had learnt it helped him remember. It was something that she had had the habit of doing and his place was to be there and listen. He recognized some of her faces and little manners she had while she explained. It made his heart feel at ease. The sight of her was comforting and even though he had regained some of his memories of her already, he couldn’t but stare at her with wide eyes. He wanted to take in everything about her, every detail in her appearance and every little manner in her voice. The more she talked to him the more he wanted to feel like he knew her again. 

* * *

Link felt uncomfortable as he descended the stairs of Impa’s house. Everyone was excited to meet and see the champion and as they had already met with Zelda, everyone’s attention was on him. Luckily he had the chance to bathe before joining the others, as Impa had invited some guests over at her house the very same morning Link finally was well enough to leave the bed. Impa, Paya and Zelda were joined with Impa’s personal guards at breakfast and as discreetly as possible Link sat down on the empty pillow next to Zelda, but the whole atmosphere in the table changed. Impa broke the silence and welcomed him, briefly commenting on how he looked much better than he had a few days ago. Then she returned to the subject she was talking about before and the others followed.

While Link was sick Zelda had taken the Sheikah Slate and investigated it with great interest. The teleportation tool was a whole new world for her and she couldn’t wait for Link to tell her everything he knew. She was dying to try it out and after discussing with Impa she decided that Hateno Village would be her first destination. She would visit the tech lab located near the village and meet with the scientists there. Teleportation was quite simple and after breakfast Link gave her the basics about the tool. She held the slate tightly with both hands and with an excited smile on her face her figure faded into blue particles before disappearing completely. Link felt anxious about her going alone but he had to trust that it was safe now. Apart from worrying for her safety, there was a whole other reason he dreaded her trip to Hateno Village, but there was nothing he could do about it now. 

Link still thought about her. About her words before heading to fight Ganon. How she cried, not only because she was scared for him. She probably waited for him, the news about Ganon’s demise must have already reached Hateno and she knew he made it. Still he hadn’t visited her, and he didn’t know when that would be. Zelda couldn’t be there, at least not at first. He knew he had to confront her and talk at some point, but wasn’t ready yet. It was a nasty thing to do to someone, but he still hadn’t figured out his feelings and was actually even more confused now than before. He hoped it would all clear out in due course, and until then he could only wish the girls wouldn’t run into each other. 

Impa’s words pulled Link from his thoughts.

“We did not get a chance to talk after you arrived.” Link turned around and saw the old woman, sitting high on a tower of pillows where Paya had helped her after breakfast. Impa gave her a meaningful look and she bowed before hastily making her way out. Impa reached out her hand and motioned Link to sit on a pillow before her. 

“I can tell you were quite stressed about facing Ganon.” She said before he had even settled on the floor. He raised his eyebrows and waited for her to continue.

“Yes, I have seen this many times before. After an experience of extreme stress, when the body is finally able to calm down, it vexes itself with sickness. As to tell it’s master that it needs time to recover. Your body forced you to stop for a few days.” Link was relieved to hear this. When the fever rose he feared it was one of his wounds that got inflamed, and he knew that could be deadly. 

“And how are you feeling now?” 

“I’m fine, thank you.” he said and bowed his head slightly. Impa blinked her small wrinkly eyes a few times and squinted. Then she nodded slowly.

“I suppose one never truly recovers from what you have been through. Regardless, you look healthy and for now that is enough.” Link was lost about what Impa was implying but nodded.

“You still do not have all your memories, do you?” The question caught Link off guard and he bit his lips. He for some reason felt embarrassment about his amnesia but with his eyes on the floorboards he shook his head. 

“I see.” The metallic ornaments on Impa’s clothes clicked as she lifted her head to stare off thoughtfully herself.

“You should not worry too much about that. Your memories will return in time. And you have a lifetime ahead of you to make new ones.” she continued and her toothless mouth spread into a smile. Link wanted to ask her questions. Ask her about Zelda, about their relationship, about himself. Before he could open his mouth, Impa spoke again.

“Zelda is a wise woman. We both know that. She will understand, I am sure of it.” Link nodded but said nothing. Somehow he felt the old woman knew exactly what he was thinking. 

* * *

Evening came with a cool wind even though spring was far along already. Kakariko Village was decorated in traditional Sheikah fashion and wooden ornaments hanging above the streets and alleyways clattered in the wind. The sound, together with that of the waterfalls behind Impa’s house, created a peaceful atmosphere, only disturbed by the occasional sounds of playing children and cuccos that wandered around the streets.

To the North, there was a shrine overlooking the village. To everyone’s surprise little after Zelda had materialized on the pedestal another shape appeared. It was that of a child’s and the whole village was eager to find out who was this little girl the princess had brought with her. Except she wasn’t a child, save for her appearance and sense of humour. She was older than any of the village’s residents, even the old and wise Impa. She was Purah, sister of Impa. Due to an unsuccessful experiment, she was stuck in a body of a six year old, in spite of her old age. She seemed to be a little sensitive about the subject, and when asked she would answer with a snarky comment, something that seemed to be in her nature. 

“Click, snap! Look who’s here! In the flesh, ladies and gentleman.” she yelled while making her entrance to Impa's house. 

"Goddess, sister, don't you just look old and wrinkly." It was strange that these two people, seeming to be at the very opposite ends of a lifecycle, were actually siblings. Someone who didn't know the two would probably think Purah was Impa's great granddaughter. 

"And you look just as mature as you are inside." 

"I know all of you are probably wondering 'Purah, how were you able to just teleport here like that? You sure are awesome!' and to that question, my friends, I answer with this." she held a device in her small hands. 

"So you finally managed to build-" Impa started. 

"My very own Sheikah Slate!" It was bigger and bulkier than the original and lacked the engravings and symbols. Zelda was jumping up and down, of course Purah had told her everything about the device back at her laboratory but she promised to not say anything about it until Purah had delivered the great introduction. She rushed to her and with Impa they gathered to watch as Purah showed it's features. 

"I think- We think that sheikah technology could help us with rebuilding the kingdom. I think there is a possibility that we can use the shrines and towers to our advantage even more now." Zelda explained. 

"But you remember our deal, right?" Purah said, glancing at Zelda. 

"Oh yes, yes of course." 

"Great! Linky, come here!" Link was surprised he was somehow a part of their conversation about technology, but stepped next to Zelda. 

"Your missus and I made a deal." Purah said and nodded at Zelda. She inhaled sharply and frowned.

"Due to my position as the world's leading ancient technology expert she has asked me to create one more of these." she raised the device in her hand. 

"On the condition that once the state of things is a little better, she will help me establish a school of ancient technology where I can start teaching this preeminent skill that I possess. For you this means…" she looked at Link from over her glasses. 

"That time to time one of you will have to come to my lab and lend me your slate so that I can mimic the mechanics the best that I can." Purah continued. Link nodded. 

"I thought that… that you've come to know the original slate so well it was only right to ask for your permission. Purah said she will only need it for a maximum of twelve hours at a time for every fortnight or so.” Zelda added.

"That's right. But hold your horses, it will take some time. I started building this one after you first visited me and it has now been… What, a year? So unfortunately you can only take her out on foot for a while." Link nodded again. He appreciated Zelda asking him, but didn’t know how to explain to her that he wasn’t exactly thrilled about travelling to Hateno. That meeting someone there would force him to think about things that he wasn’t ready to face yet. Zelda offered to take care of the travelling as she noticed Link’s discomfort but didn’t know that would not help his anxiety.

* * *

Zelda was happy to travel to Hateno in Link’s place. She was excited to follow as Purah worked on the slate and from what Link had heard it seemed she rarely visited the village. Every once in a while she warped there and Link was left alone in Kakariko. At first he spent his time with Impa and Paya, but they always seemed to have something important to do and he felt he was in their way. He strolled the village and the more time passed the more anxious he grew. Before facing Ganon he always had a purpose. It felt there was almost too much for one man to do at times and he never had a chance to simply exist and relax. It turned out that time of peace didn’t sit well with him, and without a battle to prepare himself for, he felt useless. 

He didn’t have a job and as he thought about it, he didn’t know what he would even be qualified to do. Only thing he knew how to do was fight, and some kind of guard’s position seemed like the only option. He had been a royal guard before and even a knight after that, but without the monarch he assumed knights didn’t exist anymore. So the only thing he did was follow Zelda around with the sword on his back and eyeing his surroundings constantly. He had a need to protect her from threats that were no longer there. And when she was away it reminded him how little he still actually knew about himself.

The only hobby he had was to work out. After beating Ganon he had gained weight as he was eating better and had more time to exercise, but he couldn’t do that all day. So when Zelda left for Hateno he walked around the village, hands in his pockets, trying to find something to do. Those days were long and quiet and as Zelda wasn’t there to fill the air with chatter, his thoughts dove deeper and deeper, until he had to sit down. The Inn he and Zelda were staying at had a wrap around porch and he found a spot behind the building where guests going in and out wouldn’t see him. A cucco was pecking at the ground in front of him and he followed it with his eyes deep in his thoughts. 

He felt guilty for not remembering but he didn’t know how to speed up the process. But as much as he wanted his memories to come back, every time one did he felt sick. What a terrifying life had he lived, if his memories were like this? Where were the happy memories? He had those, he was sure, but the horrible ones outnumbered them easily. He clearly had really not had a childhood, all his childhood memories seemed to be scary or upsetting. Something terrible had clearly happened to his parents because there was a heavy feeling in his chest every time he tried to remember.

He had quite a lot of memories already and new ones were emerging daily. The pictographs in the Sheikah Slate had helped him get started. He remembered traveling with Zelda, apparently they travelled a lot. He was her knight, and she didn’t like him at first but they slowly developed some kind of a kinship. That was how he interpreted the little bits and pieces he had. He cursed his mind. There were answers there but he couldn’t see them. His mind was giving him little hints as if it was playing with him. A sound, a smell or a voice would trigger… Something. Not a memory but perhaps a feeling. A snippet of information that he had to put together with everything else and try to understand. 

As his memories slowly came back, he had to relive these moments again for the first time and it was tiring. His history seemed to be full of upsetting situations and now he was experiencing them all over again. He had fears and anxieties, but he didn’t know what they were about. Anything could trigger a feeling or reaction and he had no way of preparing himself for it and no way of avoiding situations where this could happen. 

Suddenly the cucco cackled and spread its wings in an attempt to fly away but got only a few centimeters off the ground. A familiar squeal followed as one of the children playing around tried to catch the poor creature. She turned and gasped at the sight of Link and ran up to him.

“Koko is playing tag with cuccos!” she screamed before Link could even ask what she was doing. She stood there and panted the way excited children do, and suddenly threw her hands in the air.

“Koko has made a decision! Koko will be a chef when Koko grows up! That way, Koko can make everyone happy with yummy food!” The little girl’s eyes gleamed in enthusiasm as Link asked her questions about her plans for the future. Link realized she made him as happy as he probably made her as they talked away. Koko and her little sister Cottla were the children of one of Impa’s personal guards. Cottla was always running around, looking for her mother who was “hiding”, and some time ago Link had found out what actually happened to her. He was quite sure he was an orphan and felt for the children. Koko seemed to understand her mother was never coming back but little Cottla had no concept of death yet, and seeing her persistently looking for her mother broke Link’s heart. 

After spotting her little sister chasing the cuccos in the distance, she explained she needed to catch more of them to win, and resumed playing. Link watched the two for a moment and found himself smiling. Perhaps that could be him someday. Not a child playing with cuccos, of course, but a father to one. He had no memory of ever having a family, so perhaps that could be his purpose. Bringing life to a new generation that would never know the horrors he did. Protecting them and teaching them things. He had now fulfilled his God given destiny and perhaps having a family and being a good father could be his next goal. Not yet, but someday. 

* * *

It felt strange, for Link, that finally all those years of training and endless hours of studying would be coming to a close. It was so much sooner than he, or anyone else really, had thought regardless that he wasn’t the first one to be knighted before the minimum age of 21. He had just turned seventeen, and was only but a squire, carrying out his apprenticeship. He was supposed to have many years of training in front of him before he would even become eligible to be knighted. Rules can, and will, be bent however if the King orders it and after that one afternoon in the castle yard, Link’s life changed. The King was sure, somehow after witnessing only one act of bravery and chivalry, that he was the right one to protect his daughter, Princess Zelda. 

Link’s training was carried through with haste. Years worth of military training, (not that he really needed any, he had always outshined his fellow squires and even grown knights with ease), religious studying and even dance practise were squeezed into a fortnight. He had started practicing his oath immediately after the King had given his official notice that he would be knighted. The weeks had been so busy and stressful that he hardly had any time to celebrate this immense honour. 

The accolade passed in a nervous blur. Once it was over Link realized he didn’t even fully remember the ceremony. The oath, taking his place, kneeling, all came straight from muscle memory after two weeks of continuous practise. What he did remember, was the Princess. In her royal blue dress, looking small next to her mighty father. He caught a glimpse of her face but couldn’t tell what she was feeling, she mastered the neutral, emotionless face of royals. He remembered a shiver going down his spine at seeing her. Suddenly his mind was filled with doubt and insecurity. Was he really worth all this trust? And most of all was he capable of keeping her safe?

After the ceremony there was to be a celebration. Not for Link, of course, but for the King on his birthday, accolades were usually held on special holidays or celebrations. This would be the first occasion for Link as a part of the chivalric order and somehow he was more nervous about that than the accolade itself. 

The royal family had stepped out of the sanctum, followed by their guards and knights of which Link was now a part of. After stepping out in the blistering sunlight, he heard someone call his name. Soon there were two figures next to him, and he lifted his head from the back of the knight before him. 

“Sir Link.” an older man said. He was dressed in a sort of priest-like robe, and his hands were crossed behind his back. He had an uncomfortable look about him, there were wrinkles on his forehead that suggested he spent a lot of time frowning. Next to him was a younger woman. Quite young, actually, not much older than Link. She was dressed in the ceremonial robes used by the sheikah tribe. 

“Congratulations on your knighthood.” said the man, without a hint of genuine well-wishing. Link bowed.

“As you probably know, I am Agahnim, the royal advisor of King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. This is Impa of Kakariko, the royal advisor of the Princess. His royal highness the King has asked us to deliver a message for you, Sir Link.” He was confused, as the King had been right next to him moments ago, but he supposed this was how communication was carried out in the castle. Agahnim motioned Link to follow him, and with a bad feeling in his gut, he did.

To his surprise he was taken back to the sanctum. There, behind a heavy curtain was a door that the man opened with a key. After the two Link stepped into a small oblong room that he guessed held some type of religious purpose. The walls were covered in old paintings of the royal family’s ancient history and he thought he could spot some religious relics laying inside old looking display cabinets. On the back wall there was another locked door. This time Agahnim pulled it open and motioned Link inside.

The nervousness inside him didn't ease when the two stepped behind him into a cramped room and the man closed the door behind them. Immediately Link’s eyes were drawn to the back wall of the room, where there was another cabinet. It was old and fancy-looking and he noticed religious engravings on it’s wooden doors. They were sealed with a heavy lock, and the man started struggling with it. 

Meanwhile Link caught a glimpse of the other royal advisor. She was taller than Link, and older but not by many years. The symbol of her tribe was painted on her face, which was concentrated but not as ill-wishing as the man's. He was sure he had seen her before, probably with the princess. Before this day he had not spent much time with the royals or their immediate servants and he was sure this was not the way he had hoped to meet them. 

Finally Agahnim drew the doors open. He reached for something inside the cabinet but Link couldn’t see what it was. He sighed, and Link thought he heard a sound of admiration in his cold voice. The man turned around and in his hands was a wooden box. He didn't give it to Link nor open it, he just stared at him for a moment. 

"His royal highness the King has asked me to deliver this message to you, Sir Link. His majesty has placed upon you his utmost trust, and he wholeheartedly believes in your abilities in performing your duty as the Princess's appointed knight. His majesty congratulates you, and wishes that our Goddess Hylia watches over you." he said finally with a cold and monotone voice. Link didn't know what to do or say, so he just bowed slightly. He knew they hadn't taken him there just to tell him that. 

"However." Agahnim said loudly while piercing Link's eyes. 

"His highness wants you to know that this position comes with great responsibility. The safety of His majesty's daughter, the decessor of Goddess Hylia herself, her royal highness Princess Zelda, is now your responsibility." Link knew this, but the manner in which the man spoke sent a chill down his spine. Agahnim opened the box, revealing the most beautiful scabbard Link had ever seen. It was blue, and there were golden wings representing the royal family. In the handle there was a small golden triforce. For a moment he wondered if this was the legendary blade that only a chosen hero could wield, but it seemed way too small.

Agahnim handed the box to Impa and carefully lifted the dagger. With a swift movement he pulled it out of its scabbard and the beauty of the dagger left Link dumbfounded. The blade seemed to change colours in the light, and small diamonds embedded in it gleamed brightly. 

"This dagger…" the man said. "has been in the royal family for centuries, passed down from generation to generation. This is, according to his highness, one of the most valuable heirlooms of the family." he continued, eyes in the blade as he made slight movements with it. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, with an uncomfortable tone again. Link nodded. 

"It truly is." Agahnim sighed. "The message his majesty has for you, and that I am happy to deliver is..." the dagger laid on his palms as he lifted it closer to Link’s face. 

"... that this is the dagger his royal highness, the sacred ruler of our land, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule will personally use to end your life, would you ever act in any kind of malicious ways against his daughter. This includes putting her in any physical harm, taking advantage of her in any way or other activity that would cause her physical or emotional suffering. "

Link stared at the man and tried to control the look on his face. Was this really happening? Did the king actually think this was necessary? He eyed the dagger. It looked sharp.

"The Princess is his majesty’s only daughter, and he will do anything to keep her safe. She hasn't had an appointed knight before and that is why it is of utmost importance that she feels safe around you. You know what happened to her mother. And your…" the man smacked his lips and shook his head. 

"This has been the message his highness wanted you to hear. Say yes if you understand. '' Link's mouth was so dry it was difficult to get words out. He cleared his throat slightly. 

"Yes." 

The man narrowed his eyes before putting the dagger back in it's scabbard. 

"Very well." he said as he lowered it back to the box. 

"This has been an official threat from the Hyrulian monarch to you, Sir. Link. Consider yourself flattered." 

Link's heart was racing out of nervousness and simple rage as they returned to the sanctum. The old man clearly had something against him and bringing up his family made his blood boil. He couldn't tell about the woman, she kept a neutral face through the situation. Link bowed as a sign of goodbye, and was making his way out of the sanctum when the advisor said his name one more time. 

"Against my best advice, his majesty the King sees that you are perfect for the duty of his daughter's appointed knight. To knight a mere teenage squire…" he shook his head, but gave him then a fierce look. 

"I was a young man once, even though a long time ago, and I know what you all are like. I want you to know that I do not trust you. If I ever witness even a hint of any kind of inappropriate behaviour, you can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to make sure you never step inside these castle walls again. Are we clear? "

Link's face was becoming red, and not only from rage. He wanted to send a punch flying at the man's face, but ate his bride and bowed. This was what his life was going to be from now on. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two!  
> Finally we are getting a little action. I think this might be one of the longest chapters, and it contains one of the only two scenes that were in the first draft of this story. 
> 
> I don't have much else to say, hope you enjoy!
> 
> Content warnings:  
> violence, death, substance use

**Chapter Two**

A woman stepped forward, did two little steps and returned to the first position. Zelda realised in cold sweat that she was on a dance lesson and hadn’t paid enough attention. The woman continued and Zelda tried to follow but the music that was playing was so loud it was hard to concentrate. It got louder and louder and soon the lesson started to fade away and was replaced with the wooden boards on the ceiling of Shuteye Inn, illuminated by streaks of bright morning sunlight. Details from the dream escaped her as she started to wake up but she soon realised the music had not been a figment of her imagination. Turning her head to the side she saw that Link was beginning to wake up too in his own bed, although he seemed much more annoyed about the fact. But what was that sound? She didn’t immediately recognise the instrument, it had been over a hundred years since she last heard it. 

Intrigued by the sound, she got up hurriedly. It came from the outside and she was dying to learn it’s source. Link sat up too but it seemed he wouldn’t fully wake up for a while. He had noticed Zelda was getting ready and instinctively started to do so too. 

“Do you hear that?” she asked. Link frowned while tying up his hair but soon tilted his head thoughtfully. He turned his ear at the direction of the sound and his face lit up, as much as it was possible at that hour. 

The children of the village had gathered around a rito, standing before a small pond where a statue of Goddess Hylia stood. Accordion, of course, Zelda thought. That was the reason the sound was familiar to her, accordion was what her court poet used to play. Noticing her and Link the man finished the tune he was playing with a few long, beautiful notes. 

“My good friend!” he said, looking over Zelda’s shoulder at Link, but then bringing his eyes to her. 

“And your royal highness.” he continued and bowed his head so deeply his beak almost touched the instrument. The rito introduced himself as Kass and explained he was a bard, travelling around the land. 

Kass had already enjoyed breakfast so the three decided to meet after Link and Zelda had eaten as well. She was surprised to learn Kass was a student of her old friend and asked Link a great deal of questions about the rito. His teacher had known Link somewhat too and the last time he and Kass met, they talked for a long time and Kass told him everything he knew about the man Link used to be before the calamity. He had told him something about Zelda as well but Link decided to keep that to himself, at least for now.

"Link, I believe that I have played you this song before, but may I for the sake of freshening your memory play it again. I also would like the princess to hear it." Kass said when Zelda and Link returned, and they quieted down to listen.

"When the moon bleeds and the fiends are born

The monks will invite you as they have sworn. 

But first you must stand on the pedestal bare

With nothing between you and the night air." 

Kass's voice echoed beautifully in the valley surrounding the village.

"That was the song my teacher taught me when I was just but a boy. For years I have been wondering if there is a puzzle inside the words. Lately I have been sure of it. I went through my teacher's notes and found an entry that I think has to do with this song. I visited the place it was written in and indeed, there was a pedestal there. Of course I am not one to know what to do with it, but I marked the place on this map if you two wanted to investigate. The rest of the puzzle is up to you to decipher. "

Zelda was excited to say the least. She had once heard that the ancient Sheikah monks had left puzzles and clues, such as the song, that if deciphered, could lead to a shrine, a dungeon of sorts that was designed to train the hero. She had dreamed about activating a shrine long before the calamity and she felt this was her chance to finally get inside one. The fact that in order to discover it she needed to solve a riddle was straight from her wildest day dreams. As soon as it was polite she excused herself to study her own notes to figure out what the song could mean. Link stayed with Kass for a while, who was soon departing from the village. He was travelling again, and wanted to meet his next destination before nightfall. Kakariko Village had not been on his plan of travel but he decided to stop by once he heard Link and his companion were staying there. 

“My ultimate destination is the Faron region. I have heard of an ancient tribe living there that I did not get to meet on my last journey and I cannot wait to learn of their music. But that is enough of me, how have you been?” 

“I’m fine, thank you.” Link answered with his eyes on Zelda who was ascending the stairs of Impa’s house. Kass followed his look and smiled. 

“Ah, that is good, it’s good to see you well. And I believe you have gotten along with the princess as well.” Link glanced at the rito and nodded.

“Good. And who would not?” Kass said with his eyes on Impa’s porch, where Zelda had just been before Paya opened the door for her.

“My teacher always spoke so fondly of her and I can now see why. She has a smile like the sun. You are a lucky man to feel its warmth upon you every day.” he continued. Link stared at his toes but smiled slightly. Kass was right, her smile was enchanting and it was one of the things he had remembered of her the best. 

“Perhaps we can meet again at a better time and I can play you both the songs my teacher wrote about you two.” Kass said while playing a few notes on his accordion. Link lifted his head and Kass read the look on his face.

“But only when you are ready, of course.” he added. Link kicked the gravel at his feet and felt Kass’s feathery hand on his shoulder.

“Take all the time you need. But, and pardon me for being so blunt, I do not think you have any reason to believe her thoughts have changed during this time.” He looked Link in the eye while he spoke, who didn’t know what to do or say. Their attention was pulled to Impa’s porch, where Zelda was waving and calling Link’s name. 

“I think I did it! Link, we are going to discover a shrine!” she yelled excitedly once she got their attention. Kass smiled and patted Link’s shoulder. 

“You are a good man. Best of luck and may the light illuminate your path” And with that, they parted. Link followed Zelda to Impa’s house, confused about the conversation he just had. It was way too early for him to process any of it. 

"Link! I can't believe it!” Zelda was waiting at the top of the stairs, and as soon as he was in hearing range she started explaining.

“So, I figured that the verse ‘when the moon bleeds’ must refer to blood moon.” She said as they sat down on the floor of Impa’s house.

“And if I have counted the days and the position of the moon right, the next blood moon should be only in a few week’s time! How amazing is that? You see, the blood moon can only rise whenever it’s in the complete shadow of the Earth.” Zelda demonstrated the movements of the planets with her hands. 

“You would think that the moon is then invisible to the eye, wouldn’t you? But in fact, some light manages to shine on the surface. That is when a phenomenon called rayleigh scattering happens. Colours that are towards the violet end of the spectrum get filtered out. And what colours are least affected by this? The ones towards the red end, of course, making the moon shine red, hence the name blood moon. So with all these variables considered, it is truly a miracle that we happened to receive this information from your friend in such a short time before the blood moon next time appears. Isn’t that wonderful?” Zelda explained with a content smile on her face. 

Paya stepped carefully over stacks of paper and countless open books to try and serve them tea. Link reached out to take their cups, as Zelda was too lost in her thoughts to even notice. After placing her cup in front of her, he thanked Paya and took a comfortable position, getting ready to hear hours worth of rambling about space, nature and ancient technology. He nodded and tried to look like he understood, but truthfully, when Zelda got excited she talked very fast, and with all the strange words she used, some of it passed over his head. But his eyes rested on the sight of her getting lost in her research, similarly to when they had just arrived at Kakariko and she explained everything she had learnt while he was bedridden. Regardless of the gaps in his memory he knew this was who she was at her very core. Not the even-tempered and quiet princess but a curious and smart girl, who gave impromptu lectures about science to anyone who would listen. He might not understand but giving her company made him feel like he belonged and that he was important to at least someone.

* * *

After a fortnight of restless nights, the two packed up their things and got ready to start the journey. Unfortunately the place marked on the map was days worth of journey away, and they would have to take routes that made Link uneasy. Hyrule field used to be infested with monsters and guardians, and while Link knew it was supposed to be safe now, he was tense. They would have to cross many ruins that used to be towns and villages but were now but a reminder of the horrors Ganon wreaked. He was especially worried for Zelda, as she might have memories of these places and seeing them completely destroyed could be hard for her. But unlocking the shrine would be all worth it, he convinced himself.

Few hours in, it started raining lightly and they stopped to get Zelda her cloak. Link proposed they would take a break and continue after the rain stopped, but Zelda refused. She was adamant about staying on schedule even though they had planned it to be loose. Their journey took them down from the highlands of Lanayru and over the Hyrule field, following the roads that still existed. They would pass the Sacred Grounds, where Zelda blessed Link and his sword at the beginning of their time together. They would see the ruins of Castle Town and the Castle itself, the place that both of them used to call home. Even though they knew they would have to return there at some point, whether or not they would live there, neither mentioned a word about the subject while passing the ruins. 

"I spent the whole night thinking about the last bit of the song. 'Stand bare without anything between you and the night air.' It must mean physical bareness, must it not? The question is how bare? No weapons? No armor? Nothing?" she wondered. 

Link felt anxious. He was aware what bareness meant and that was fine with him, however he was stressed about having to leave his weapons. It had to be him on the platform, Zelda had said, because the shrines were designed to train the hero. She didn’t want to take a risk about the activation not working. Of course he would have her in his sight the whole time, and would rush to her if needed to, but he feared even that might not be enough. He thought about giving her a knife and shield for the time he was standing on the pedestal, just in case. He would have to give her some training too. 

The first night of the trip they spent at the root of Mount Gustaf at the North-Western corner of Hyrule Field. In the morning they would cross the Carok Bridge and after a few hours hopefully find the spot. The scenery was distressing to say the least. The last four hours of their journey they had seen nothing but destroyed structures and deactivated guardians. Zelda looked heavy-hearted, just as Link had feared. 

Morning came with fear weather unlike they had feared. Zelda was annoyed they used all that space for weatherproof equipment while she could have just as well taken more research material but after his year of travelling through the wild, Link had been persistent on preparing for everything. He had learnt all too well that Hyrule was a rain-prone land. After a few hours of traveling the two arrived at a place where they needed to leave the road and start navigating themselves. The road had taken them through a breach and for a long time they had been surrounded by a rock mass (quite new and soft rock, probably created in a great natural cataclysm, Zelda explained) that rose high up above them in spikes. Finally they had returned to open plains with actual, alive flora. The two dismounted from their horses and Zelda held on to their bridles, while Link climbed up a small hill to check if he could see Washa's bluff, the place where the pedestal was supposed to be located. The sun was high up already, and Link used his hand to shade his eyes. 

"Yep, I think I can see it!" he yelled, trying to spot the best place to get their horses over the elevation. Zelda opened her mouth to answer, when she heard a strange sound behind her. It was laughter.

"LI-" Link heard a strange yelp from Zelda’s direction. He checked over his shoulder to see if everything was alright, and before fully realizing what he had even seen, felt the handle of the master sword in his hand. The hill he was standing on wasn’t too high up and he took a leap and landed next to the road. There, between their horses that were whisking their tails and throwing their heads around in alarm, stood a lanky man with a white mask covering his face. He had wrapped Zelda’s long hair around his fist and was pulling her head back. Link couldn’t see her hands, they were behind her back and he wondered if he had somehow been able to tie them in this time. In his other hand the man held a sickle that was drawn close to the girl’s neck, where two streams of tears flowed. Zelda’s head was pulled back at such a degree Link could hardly see her eyes. She was hysterically crying, and between sobs she tried to yell something at Link, but the man jerked her hair and she wailed in pain. 

Link had such a deep hatred against the Yiga clan. He had murdered their leader some time before facing Ganon and he thought they would stop trying to sabotage his mission, but they had grown even more persistent. Then after Ganon, the entity they saw as their god, was sealed away Link was sure they would retreat to their little caves but that did not seem to be the case. They were probably after revenge for killing the one they worshipped, and Link wondered if they had been followed the whole way there. The Yiga were masters of disguise but Link was furious at himself for not seeing this coming. 

The Yiga soldier nodded at one of the horses in an attempt to tell Link to back off and ride away. Link stared at the man’s mask before slowly lowering his sword. If Zelda kept her dead tilted backwards, and dropped on her knees, she could get out safely without cutting her throat, he thought. There was one variable however, but Link didn’t have time to come up with a better plan. With his eyes on the Yiga he crouched down slightly, as if he was putting his sword on the ground. Stasis was the fourth rune counting from the left and Link knew this by heart. As he had hoped, the man did not have time to react, as Link, with his left hand already close to his hip, used the rune on him. Purah had upgraded the slate and its features were even more powerful now, but still stasis worked on living beings only for a short moment, and Link had about three seconds to get Zelda away or the man would most probably kill her. He leaped forward and placed the blade of the Master Sword behind her neck, and on the third, the last second, shoved her down from her shoulders. He heard her thump on the ground and the exact moment the rune wore off, pierced the Yiga’s stomach with his sword. He yanked it back and pushed the man away, who fell backwards on the ground. 

Link dropped down to check on Zelda’s condition: no marks anywhere, no blood. He swiped the end of the sword’s blade on his boot and snapped the line around her wrists. The man had come prepared: it was a slipknot he simply needed to slip around her hands and pull and there was nothing she could have done.

“I- I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry, I- I…The power, it… I don’t know what happened, I couldn’t, it wouldn’t...” Zelda sobbed while rubbing her wrists.

Gently he stroked her arm, trying to calm her down and as she seemed to realise the situation was over she shoved her face against his chest. For a moment Link didn’t know what to do with his hands, but then carefully wrapped them around her. He looked down and saw her staring at the corpse with her eyes wide. She wasn’t crying anymore, but her breathing was rapid and she was clearly in panic. 

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay. Everything is okay now.” Link said. 

“You… you killed him.” she whispered. Link opened his mouth but closed it then. What could he say? Of course he killed him. Saving his life had not even crossed his mind, truth be told Link was happy he was dead. He could not have been able to live with himself if he had let the man go.

They sat there silently for some time. Zelda stared at the corpse and Link tried to figure out what to say. Finally they let each other go and Zelda wiped her cheeks. There were strands of hair on her shoulders, and Link brushed some of them off. Zelda gasped and brought her hand to the back of her neck. Her hair. Her long, golden hair she had grown since she was a child, was now gone. She felt her head and brought a strand of hair in front of her eyes to check its length. A wind blew past them and Zelda felt it on the back of her neck. Link tried to apologise but she cut him off.

“No, no it’s okay.” she said silently. A man was dead. She should not have been so affected about losing her hair, for Hylia’s sake. And there was still some left. She swiped the hair behind her ears, and it still stayed there.

Zelda didn’t want to leave the body but Link assured her the man’s fellow clansmen would come get him. He did not know if that was true, but the few Yiga members he had killed before had at least disappeared somewhere. Trying to push away the thought of wild animals feasting on the corpse, he helped Zelda back up on her horse. He asked if she wanted to turn around and she thought for a while. Link thought it would be for the best, he feared that if the other Yigas found the body, they would know he and Zelda had been there. But this time if they showed up, he’d be ready. 

Zelda decided to go on. They would have to spend the next night under the stars either way, and they were already so close to their destination. They left the road and headed South, and for some time their journey passed in silence. Time to time Zelda stroked the back of her head, or brought a strand of hair in front of her eyes. A few hundred meters from the road they came to a set of trees. They weren’t some ordinary birches or spruces, but long, mushroom-like plants that were thick and dozens of meters tall. In the middle of them stood a pedestal with texts written in the language of the ancient Sheikah. They halted their horses and decided to make camp underneath one of the taller trees. Zelda couldn’t help but comment on the species, it was peculiar to the area, and was found nowhere else in Hyrule. In spite of how it looked, it was a tree species and when cut down, acted similarly to others, and could, for example, be used as firewood. That was what Link did, and after cutting one down with his axe, he set up a campfire.

Zelda brushed the mane of her horse and fed apples to both of them. After setting up their camp Link came to ask if she was okay and she assured him she was fine. It was the first time since the calamity she was in danger and it caught her completely off guard. She had thought she could defend herself with her power but once again it was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she had drained it all while fighting Ganon, she did not know, but she needed to learn to defend herself somehow. Luckily for now she had the most accomplished swordsman in the kingdom, or perhaps who ever even lived, on her side.

She looked at him as he worked on their dinner. His face was calm and concentrated as he whittled spikes for them to use in cooking. That's where his mind always went first. What they were going to eat, when, and how to cook it. Zelda had always found it adorable. Link barely showed any interest in anything, and seeing him excited was truly something special. Watching him, and being aware of his presence calmed her mind. It almost felt like a déjá-vu. Just the two of them and their horses, travelling around Hyrule and sleeping under the stars. After she got used to Link, she really enjoyed travelling with him and in the middle of all the stress and worries a hundred years ago, camping outside with him made her relax. 

Link tested the sharpness of the sticks with his fingertip. Soon, but not yet. He continued to whittle, carefully, evenly on each side. They needed to be smooth and soft so there would be no splinters in their food, but also strong enough to hold all of the weight. After a while he was confident enough with his sticks and unwrapped some of the food they had packed with them: mushrooms, bread, tomatoes, onions. He tore and cut them up gently into bite size pieces and turned them into skewers. He figured out what tastes would go together with each other and with the support of two other sticks he laid them over the fire, careful not to drop them. He noticed Zelda observing his work. Was she unhappy with the way he built the skewers? Or was she just hungry? 

“Link.” she said as she walked over to him. 

“I wonder… Do you think I’d be able to use the sword?” Zelda said after a moment of silence. Link raised his eyebrows. The Great Deku Tree had once said that the Master Sword would be the death of anyone unworthy trying to wield it, and Link wondered what it thought about her. The sword was made by Goddess Hylia herself, and Zelda was her descendant. She also saved his life, and at the same time the sword. It seemed like a bad idea however to simply test the theory but Link saw her eyeing the sword.

“While you stand there… and if I need to protect myself… I wonder-” she said in her thoughts. 

“Zelda, we don’t have to do this, if you’re uncomfortable.”

“No, we are doing this.” She said and lifted her eyes from the sword to look at him. 

“I won’t let them ruin this.” 

She walked over to the Master Sword that was lying on the ground in its scabbard next to Link. Before Link could stop her, she picked it up and pulled it out. There was some dried up blood on it, but still it shined beautifully in the evening light. There she was, standing with the sword in her hand, as alive as she was a moment ago. It felt heavy, but not too heavy for her to handle. 

Link sat on the ground dumbfounded. He understood that Zelda must have been shaken up from what happened, but what she did was very risky. Then again it was her who brought the sword to the Lost Woods a hundred years ago, so why would the sword have changed its mind? He looked at Zelda, who had a slight, excited smile on her face. Now that he really thought of it the new hair fit her really well, it wasn't as restrained and groomed as her long hair always was. The Master Sword fit her amazingly as well and the fact, together with her new hair made Link feel a certain way, a way that he did not dare think much more about at the moment. Zelda turned to look at him.

“Show me.”

* * *

Link slid his shield on her forearm. 

"Protect, don't attack. If something gets too close to you, only then you attack. Use your whole body like this." he mimicked a swinging motion. Zelda listened carefully and tried it with the sword. It was so heavy it was hard to get it high enough at first. 

"You are going to leave the other half of your body vulnerable like that. Remember to always keep the shield covering you" he tried to show her. She imitated his movements but she held the shield way too high and was not using her body with the sword. She was going to get her chest cut open like that. Link sighed. There was no other way, was there? He swiped his hands on his tunic. 

"Here. May I?" Link stepped behind her and grabbed her hand that held the shield with his left and Zelda's other hand, the one with the sword, with his right. This was the only way, he assured himself.

"Move this foot back" he said as he gently poked her foot with his. "Loosen your knees. Let down your shoulders. Good. Now you go swooosh." he explained as he helped her go through the movement.

"And you need to be able to get out of there. So you step back and cover yourself with your shield like this." he took her body back to the first position but held the shield higher. 

"Got it?" 

"Uh-huh." Zelda said quietly. 

Link stood back and let her go. The moment was over as quick as it had come. Zelda wondered for a second if she should have said no. If he could show her again. Link then briefed her about the importance of the shield and some other fighting related things, but it was hard for her to concentrate. 

Link had held her two times that day. She didn't feel other people's bodies on hers often and it was something about the details of the other person's body that were so different to her own, that made touching so meaningful. Like Link's chin. It was clean shaven but had small, almost unnoticeable studs in it. Or his hands that were a bit bigger than hers. She hadn't even realised that hands could be muscular. Her hands were soft and smooth while his knuckles were dry and he had little nicks and scratches here and there. They were also hairier. His hair was light and as blonde as that on his head, she hadn't even noticed it before. She sat there listening but hardly took in a word of what he said. All she could think about was how she could get him to show her again.

Their skewers had sat over the fire a little too long but they weren’t burnt. They had their dinner and began to wait for the moon to climb up the sky. The evening was turning darker by the moment and soon one after another stars started appearing in the sky. They spent their time trying to spot star figures or shooting stars. The night was clear and Zelda could find numerous figures in the sky and Link also managed to find a few, but no shooting stars appeared that night. They didn’t talk much, while staring at the sky. Somehow, while they had no problem talking to each other, it was also easy just to lay there in silence.

Link caught a glimpse of her, laying on her back with her arms crossed behind her head. There was an itch inside him, one of those feelings that he almost saw but that was still unreachable. He was once again getting hints, his old self was trying to tell him something. It was a little easier to understand now, however. The strange pull he had, together with the context he was in, gave him an impression of what it could possibly be that he was feeling.

"It's almost time." Zelda said suddenly and got up. Link stood up too and could see a light shining behind Satori Mountain. He removed his armor and gave anything that was not too big to Zelda. He took off his arrow pouch, and all of the belts that held his weapons. He kicked off his boots and removed his tunic and trousers until he was in his boxers.

"I think that is enough." Zelda said but didn’t look at him. They stared at the mountain in silence. Only a few moments before midnight and the moon shone bright red as it climbed up the sky from behind the mountain. 

"Now." Zelda said quietly. Link’s bare foot stepped on the cold platform. 

"Please be careful, Link." 

He walked to the center of the platform and turned to look at Zelda. She looked small and vulnerable in his armor and weapons. It made him stressed that nothing was happening. 

"I'm sure it has to be midnight, the moment when the fiends are born." Zelda said as if she had just read Link's thoughts. Both of them waited impatiently for something to happen. Zelda waited something good, Link was prepared for the worst. 

After a stressful moment that felt like forever, the platform shined up with blue lights. Link and Zelda were startled both as the ground started to shake. Link leaped over to Zelda to protect her from whatever was coming. He held his hand in front of her even as there was nothing in it. A few meters from the platform the ground grumbled and started to rise. Link had seen the unusual sight a few times before, but Zelda had not. After realizing that it was not a threat but in fact the shrine, she screamed from happiness and started to laugh. 

"Link, are you seeing this! We did it! We truly did it, Link!" she sprinted to the shrine while throwing her hands in the air. Link hoped she would calm down as he was not fully in gear yet but found himself smiling as he was looking at her. Her new hair suited her even better now as it was bouncing around, like it was happy for her too. 

"Come on now I need you to get us inside!" she yelled, and Link jogged to her while tightening his gear. 

"Okay now, show me what you do!" 

It didn't feel right taking Zelda down there. After completing dozens of challenges inside the shrines Link knew they weren’t safe, they were designed for him to learn how to fight for his life. But he couldn't leave her back here alone either. Not now, or at daytime. So he pressed the Sheikah Slate against a small platform and the shrine shined up, but could never compare to Zelda's face. She gasped when the door opened and chuckled as she danced her way in. 

"I can't believe I am actually here! I can't believe we did it! This is one of the best days of my life!" Link stepped next to her inside a small circle that was on the floor and the platform beneath their feet started to sink. Zelda checked Link's eyes, which were calm, and she figured this must have been normal. A large, tall room opened in front of them. 

"Oh-" Link whispered. It seemed he knew something that Zelda didn’t but before she could ask, a voice echoed from the chamber’s stone walls. 

"To you who sets foot in this shrine… I am Mijah Rokee. In the name of the Goddess Hylia I offer this trial…" 

Hair rose up on Zelda's arm. The voice was gone as quick as it had come and she looked around to find it’s source. She soon realised she most probably would not find it.

"Was that… Was that the…" 

"The monk? Yeah." Link answered. It was so unfair that he got to experience the shrine quests, when he clearly couldn't even appreciate the incredible amount of ancient technology it took to build them. And the fact that they had stayed usable all these years. As they stepped off the platform, Link suddenly turned and stood in front of Zelda. 

"I'm sorry but you must stay here." 

"What on earth do you mean? Of course I will not stay here." She tried to march past him but he stopped her by locking her in from the stomach. 

"I'm sorry. You don't understand. This shrine is dangerous. It's a test of courage." 

“What? What does that even mean? How can you know that?” she asked in disbelief.

"It's called a modest test of courage because as soon as you step foot in there, a guardian scout will attack you. I know because I have seen this before." Slowly Zelda stopped resisting. 

"Fine. But come get me as soon as you're finished." she said finally.

"Here, you can have this." Link handed her the Sheikah Slate. 

"It'll keep you company." Zelda didn’t have a chance to thank him before he sprinted through a door into the other room. And just like Link had said, from the floor below did indeed emerge a guardian. At first Zelda followed the show closely, but was soon distracted by all the interesting things around her. The all materials in the room were highly detailed and extremely well aged, considering they were thousands of years old. She heightened the sheikah slate to take pictographs of the place for further investigation. As she went through the pictures she took, something caught her eye. There was some new content in the slate, new pictures and new texts. With Purah she had mostly studied the runes in the slate and she hadn’t realised there were other kinds of data in it as well. Was the slate creating this itself? As Zelda read though some of the texts, she started to notice more and more spelling mistakes. It wasn't the slate that wrote these, but Link. Zelda was intrigued beyond comparison by his notes. They were mostly his thoughts about what he should do next or what he had discovered. 

"Juanelle in the Snowfield Stable wants to see what a Stalhorse looks like. What would be the best way to show her? She's heard the stalhorse appears in the eastern part of N. Tabantha Snowfield, in the area surrounding some strange ruins." 

Who is Juanelle? Zelda scrolled the texts, but soon learnt that she wasn't anyone special. Or rather that everyone's wishes were as special to Link. On his way to Zelda, he had helped the people of Hyrule with their worries and tasks. Although it wasn’t surprising Link was a sweetheart deep down, it warmed her heart that without a memory to his name, he was ready to help others. She scrolled some more. 

Her eyes were caught by a chapter, a bit longer than the others. 

"I finally retrieved the legendary Master sword. I don't know if it's just an illusion, but the sword itself seems to be delighted by this. At this very moment, Princess Zelda is still inside Hyrule Castle, fighting to suppress the Calamity. She is holding on to faith in me, believing I will come for her. But with the power I have now, can I really save her?"

Zelda closed the slate. Link had used it as his journal, and reading his most intimate thoughts was inappropriate. After a second she opened it again and read the chapter once more. He had written her name. He had thought about her, he had known she was waiting for him. It wasn’t much but it was at least a proof that he did remember her. If not fully, at least he knew she always believed in him. She pressed the slate against her chest and watched as Link fought bravely against the machine that was programmed to kill him. One more look, she decided.

The entries didn’t have dates on them, but she could tell the last one was written some time before he faced Ganon. It was short, and conveyed an impression of anxiety.

“It has been so long since I last saw her. I know I need to face her before the battle but I don’t know if I can. I’m afraid of what she will say, and fear I don’t have anything to tell her myself. ” Zelda frowned. Who was he talking about here? Before she could look for any sort of context for the entry, the metal bars that closed the doorway after Link lifted up once again and soon the sweaty but content-looking boy appeared in their place. 

“Come on, let’s go see the monk.” he said while wiping his forehead. 

“The… What?” she answered, and whatever feeling the last journal-entry had caused in her was forgotten instantly as Link took her deeper into the shrine.

* * *

Kakariko Village was exactly the way they had left it four days ago, but it’s people were excited to see how Zelda’s appearance had changed during this time. She got to tell the story of how Link saved her from the Yiga soldier by cutting her hair over and over, and every time she received sighs of admiration, especially from the children of the village. Paya trimmed her hair to make the cut neat and even, but the length was still Link’s handiwork. Her new look was adored and it didn’t take long until there were more and more young women with bob-cuts as well. The trend was groundbreaking, since it had been a long tradition for both men and women of the tribe to grow out their iconic white hair. A new leaf was welcome, as the whole kingdom was in the process of recreating itself.

Zelda returned to her everyday routines that she had somewhat gotten used to by now, and so did Link. His routines however strictly followed Zelda’s and once again as she left to visit Purah at Hateno Village, he was faced with the struggle of trying to find something to fill the hours with. Rain was coming down heavily and Paya had decided to use that time well by washing the floors of her house, and Link gladly helped her. He had spent his morning pushing around furniture and around midday his help was no longer needed upstairs. The rain was yet to let up and, not having anything else to do, Link asked Impa if she needed help with anything. As he had expected she didn’t, or at least wouldn’t admit it. Instead she waved her hand at a pillow in front of her, welcoming Link to take a seat.

“Thank you for being such a big help around the house. And thank you for spending time with Paya, I fear she sometimes feels left out and spending time alone with you always gets her in a good mood.” She said, to which Link answered with an awkward nod.

“Despite this you have barely changed a word with me since you returned from your trip with the princess. I know you young people have such hectic lives it is sometimes easy to forget your elders…” she continued, though tongue in cheek. 

“Pardon me, but I don’t think you are actually that much olde-” 

“But how can I blame you, it is not an easy task to keep up with her.” she cut Link off.

“I heard what happened. I am so sorry you still can’t get peace from those godforsaken Yiga members.” her voice was more serious now, and she looked genuinely sorry. Link nodded again.

“Thankfully the Princess doesn’t seem too affected by this, and I hope you are not either. And I saw what you did to her hair…” she shook her head but smiled then.

“She loved that hair so much. Or that is what she used to claim, at least. It was her father who wanted her to grow it out, just like how her mother did. But I think she will get used to it in time. Especially when it was no other than you who cut it...” Link didn’t even try to understand what Impa was implying. There was a silence between them, and Link felt that Impa knew there was something he wanted to ask her. For a moment he gathered his courage and finally spoke, barely even looking at her.

“Actually… There’s something about her… Something I’d like to ask you. I think I remember you two being close, you know, before.” 

"Yes?" 

Link had hoped that somehow Impa would know what he wanted to ask from her. He wondered if she did but just wanted to hear him say it. He took a moment to think how he would word his question. 

"I've heard rumors… About her, about Zelda. From before." he said finally, glancing at the old woman before returning his eyes to his palms that were red and full of little veins. 

"Yes." Impa nodded, with a sly smile. She had a very knowing look on her face but still, of course, would dig the question out of him. Link bit the dry skin of his lips. 

"I know someone who knew a poet that worked in the castle, and who knew her. I’ve heard he claimed…" 

"And what did he claim?" Impa asked after Link fell silent for a moment, though her face told him she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Goddess, Impa, I know you are aware of what he claimed.” Link said. 

"How would I know that?" she smiled and licked her dry lips. Link sighed and looked around the room while thinking about ways to dance around the subject. 

"He… I heard that he made claims about the princess. That she was… Uh... Interested in- in someone." Finally he looked at her.

"Is that true?" 

Impa looked at him as though she was savouring the moment. After a while she answered, with that same grin on her face.

"Yes." 

"And who was it?" Link’s throat was dry and his heart raced but he tried not to show any of it to Impa, though it was hard. She licked her lips again and looked away, smiling, thinking. 

"I see you are under the assumption that I shall just break my pledge of confidentiality, if asked kindly enough. You are mistaken." she said finally, clearly happy with the reaction she got from Link, who groaned.

"Impa please. Now one will know." 

"Exactly, _no one_ will know." she emphasised. Link let out another frustrated groan. 

"But I will tell you this." she said, looking at him in the eyes, speaking slowly.

"Everyone, me, Purah, Robbie, everyone who has ever laid eyes on her, except seemingly you, have been aware of this for over a hundred years. And I'll have you know…" she looked up again, as if smiling to her old friends. 

"... we have all waited for this day for a long time. It warms my heart that it's finally here." 

Link wished the old woman would stop talking in riddles, he was positive she didn't use to talk this way. But he knew that was all he was going to get out of her. She didn't say what he had hoped but it was definitely something. A warm feeling spread all over his body, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling. He bowed a little and was starting to get up. 

“However.” Impa continued, stopping Link on his tracks.

“Whoever it would be, will know wrath they wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy were her feelings ever played with.” Link could feel the cold sweat on his back and knew his face was red all the way to the top of his pointy ears. She knew? How?

“One should not think I don’t have eyes everywhere.” She said, fiercely staring at him from under her headdress. Link was frozen in place, unable to do, or say anything. Lucky for him, Paya had finished with the floor upstairs and was struggling her way down with a heavy bucket of water. This gave Link a chance to escape the situation, and after bowing slightly he hurried to help Paya. 

* * *

  
  


Link had followed with sorrow as the King scolded Zelda. She had simply been admiring the research of a guardian, not even taking a part in it. Just the fact that she was enjoying herself, even a little, made the King furious, as if that somehow decreased the chance of her discovering her power. Tears in her eyes, she watched the King’s back as he walked away. She was to have nothing to do with ancient technology from there on. They waited for the king to leave in silence. After a while she glanced at him with red eyes and rushed to her room. 

"I'm so sorry, Zelda." Link said, standing before her bed where she sat crying. It broke his heart to see her like this. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what. 

"I can go, if you want." 

"No!" she said and lifted her face, seeming a little embarrassed of how desperate she had sounded. 

"Please stay." 

Link didn’t know what else to do, so, hoping with all his heart no one would find out, he sat next to her on the bed. She leaned her face to his shoulder. He sat frozen still, feeling like he was doing something illegal, but at the same time wanted nothing more than to make her feel better. 

"I want to be angry at him but… It's all my fault. I can't keep myself from distractions. I say that I do everything I can but do I?" she said between sobs. Link felt like he had to say something. She had helped him with his struggles and he needed to be able to be there for her too. But as always it took him a moment to find the words.

"No, please. No, you do. You do everything you can. The King just…" he snapped his mouth shut. All the ceremonies and oaths where he had vowed his loyalty to the King flashed through his mind. Unconsciously he straightened his back and glanced around as if making sure no one had heard him.

"What?" the princess said quietly. 

"Nothing." Link said, knowing he had just probably made the situation worse. 

"He's right, isn't he?" she asked and lifted her head to meet his eyes. Her whole face was red and moist, and her tears had soaked into the sleeve of his tunic.

"No, sorry, that's not what I meant. I..." Link really did think the king was wrong, but it was hard for him to admit it after swearing his allegiance to the man for his entire life. Even harder it was to say, so he tried to circle around the subject. 

"I think you are doing enough. More than enough. I am around you almost all the time and I'm certain. There is nothing more you could do." Despite it being hard for him to say, he knew the king acted unjustly towards Zelda and he was angry for that. There was nothing more she could do and the King knew it. He just wanted to put Zelda through hell because she hadn't been given her powers yet. 

"Oh…" she said softly. Luckily she wasn’t crying anymore, but seemed thoughtful. 

"Link." there was suddenly a tone of urgency in her voice. 

"Link! You… You are right you are around me all the time you are… You are my best friend." she said and moved her eyes around the room in thought.

"You are… The last good thing in my life." she said after a moment, her voice heavy. Link wondered if he should say it back to her. It was true, she was his best friend, his only friend in fact and the only good thing he had left in his life. Perhaps the only good thing there ever was. But no, he couldn’t do that, he couldn’t say it out loud. It was not by her choice that he was around her most of the time and that he was the closest person to her. He didn’t know if she liked him for who he was or simply of necessity. The position he was in demanded self-reflection and constant awareness of the power-relation he was engaged in and this was constantly at the top of his mind. She was his job and there was a very good reason it was absolutely prohibited to form any kind of closer relationship with her. Link knew this, he understood why, but by Goddess it was hard. Day by day he was moving towards a very dangerous path. 

"That means… No. He wouldn’t do that." she continued and got up. Link brought his hand where her face had touched him. It was still warm and wet from her tears. He tried to soak up the warmth to his hand, as if it was somehow sacred. 

Zelda paced around her room.

"No, he wouldn’t. Would he?" Finally she stopped and stood still with her back facing Link.

“If… If I can’t activate my power at the Spring of Wisdom… He will realise it was never about the ancient technology… Then… He must wonder, what else is there to take away in my life?” Finally Link understood what she was saying and stood up too. He held on to a bedpost with his knuckles white, he knew what she meant and that he could never let that happen. If it was a dangerous path then so be it.

“Then he will see there is nothing else left. Then… then he must think that…” Zelda turned around.

“...that it’s you. You are the final distraction.”

* * *

Impatiently Link waited for the day his mind would run out of disturbing memories to show him. More and more he started to feel like his brain was not on his side, and played with his emotions like a puppeteer. He had lied to Zelda that he was in a habit of working out at nights, so many times he had had to rush outside to get some fresh air and to cool down. Few times had he even gone into the forest North from the village just to be alone. Where were the happy memories? Where were they?

He had tried meditating to calm down at a disturbing moment but it was demanding. If he let his mind alone for a second it would take him to a terrifying place. More times than one he had fallen asleep in the forest and woken up with a sore throat. He didn’t mind that though, every moment that he was able to sleep was a blessing. 

Tonight, in addition to being pained by his disturbing memories, he was overwhelmed by hopelessness. Was the rest of his life going to be like this? And how horrible would his memories get? As quietly as possible he sneaked out of the Inn and sat on it’s porch resting his head on his palms. He started as the door behind him opened. To his luck it wasn’t Zelda, but a man named Pikango. He was a travelling artist who was staying at the Inn as well. Link nodded at him as the man passed by. He didn’t continue his way to the toilets as Link had expected but sat on the ground in front of the porch instead. Link followed as Pikango busied himself with something he dug from his backpack. 

Soon the man straightened his back and observed his handiwork. It was dark but Link could tell he was holding two cones the size of a finger, one of which he brought to his lips. Link was surprised, he had never seen the man, who spent most of his time at the town square painting, smoke. Even more surprised he was as Pikango reached out his hand and offered the other cigarette to him. Link thought for a moment. Would Zelda ever find out he wouldn’t hear the end of it. Meditading had not helped his pains so he accepted the man’s offer. Pikango handed him his own cigarette that Link used to light up his. He nodded as a thanks and for a moment the men sat in silence. 

Link leaned back on the porch as he blew out the smoke. From the first inhale his body felt more relaxed and he enjoyed the brief pleasure the cigarette brought him. Immediately he knew this wasn’t his first cigarette and realised how much he had missed this habit he didn’t know he had. As he opened his eyes he noticed the man looking at him.

“I didn’t mean to pry but I heard you tell your girlfriend you leave at night to work out. I’ve heard that one before so I thought if you come out here to smoke at least I’d join you.” he said. For some reason that made Link laugh. If only it was that simple.

“She’s not my girlfriend. And I don’t come here to smoke.” he said while following the patterns of the smoke with his eyes.

“Ah, trouble sleeping, then? Been there, that’s actually the reason I have this cursed habit.” He motioned at his cigarette. Link didn’t answer. He had always thought of Pikango as a bit of a strange but friendly man. At the start of his journey, when he had no recollection of the land he was travelling, Pikango had helped him get started. The man had visited many places and could recognise some of the pictographs in the slate, in spite them being over a hundred years old. 

This didn’t mean Link saw him as his friend. Perhaps it was due to his reserved person but it took him a lot to actually consider someone as an actual friend. Usually, if someone was friendly towards him he assumed they wanted something from him, or they were only interested in his sword. Pikango seemed to have a similar, introverted character himself and that was why it struck Link as odd when he wanted to share this strangely intimate moment with him. They weren’t friends, acquaintances at most, but still he cared about Link’s wellbeing. 

From what Link had gathered, he knew he had quite an easily addictive personality. All his favourite things seemed to involve high risk and fast satisfaction. There’s a fine line between courage and recklessness, but he had stepped over it ages ago. That is why he didn’t want to pick up the habit of smoking, he got hooked on things too easily. But then it did really help him calm down. He asked Pikango how much he would sell a few cigarettes to him for. The man shook his head.

“If you are not yet addicted I suggest you don’t deliberately try. I recommend herbal tea for sleeplessness. Or working out the problems that keep you awake.” he stood up and threw the stub on the ground. 

“I might not be a very wise fellow but trust me, an artist's life is full of hardships. What I’ve learnt is that talking is the only thing that will help. Medicating only moves the pain.” He stepped on the stub and picked up his things. He made his way towards the Inn’s door but stopped next to Link.

“I’ll sell you five for twenty rupees. But no more than that.” Link nodded. They promised to meet there at the same time tomorrow to perform the deal.

* * *

The guards and knights had a shared common room where they could dwell when they were out of duty, but that wasn't very often for Link. It was the same place where their meals were served, so even though he felt it uncomfortable he had to be there from time to time. Especially after pulling the Master Sword his time with the other knights had been unusually hard. Some of them seemed jealous and would whisper about him or even say something nasty to his face Others just kind of avoided him, probably feeling he wasn't one of them anymore. 

After Link had left Zelda's room that day, he was in a particularly bad mood. The way the King treated her made his blood boil and he was scared he would separate the two. Lunchtime had already passed and the food cart had been taken away. Even more pissed off about this, Link sat down to the end of a long table, slamming his wooden pint of the castle’s home-brew ale on the table. The guards next to him were still eating, he must have missed the cart narrowly. As he sat down a group of guards were leaving the table and one of them had noticed Link's temper. 

"What's the matter, champion? The princess didn't put out?" he said as he passed him, erupting roars of laughter in his group. Somehow Link had had a feeling something like this would happen. 

Another slam echoed through the room, but this one caught the attention from the people nearby. The knight, who standing up would tower Link by half a head, didn't have much time to react as the foot he was about to step on got kicked back, and his torso was slammed to the wooden table top. His left hand was folded neatly behind his back. 

Link bit his back teeth together so hard his cheek muscles became visible outside. His body was pressed against the back of the knight. In his right hand was a steak knife, and he held it on the man's neck. That explained why he had paid attention to the meals of the other people at the table. His intuition was once again ahead of him.

"Let it be the last time you talk about her in that way." he said through gritted teeth. The occurrence had caught the attention of the rest of the hall, and they stared at the two men in silence. 

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, man" the guard said, trying to laugh it off.

"Swear!" Link said, inching the knife closer. He was actually not so sure how much closer he could take it before ending the man's life. Luckily the knife was not very sharp. 

"Yes, yes! I swear!" he said, now showing more terror in his voice. Link held him for another few seconds before letting go. The man mumbled something to his friends and rubbed his neck. Link ended his drink with a few gulps and fled the hall.

Despite knowing what rumors his actions would cause he regretted nothing and would gladly let anybody try his patience. It seemed that the tools he had for dealing with his emotions were limited, and taking his anger out on his fellow knights was the only outlet at his disposal.

* * *

Living at the Inn for weeks had become inconvenient even though the kind innkeeper let them stay for free. It was his honour to house them and it was the least he could do, he had said. They had bought new clothes and other things that they simply didn't have room to keep in the inn anymore, regardless how kind the keeper had been. Of course as a kind hearted person Impa welcomed Link and Zelda to stay with her but Zelda didn't want to bother the old woman. Link also didn't seem too happy about living under the same roof as Paya, not to mention the awkwardness he felt in Impa’s presence. This meant Zelda and Link were now on the market to buy a house. Or rent, whichever option was available. 

“It doesn't need to be big, does it?” Zelda said as they were strolling around the village, searching for houses to let. Link shrugged. 

“I mean…” Zelda stopped suddenly.

“We are looking for _one_ house, aren’t we?” Link stopped too. He hadn’t even questioned it. Essentially they had always lived in the same place, even though the size of the castle didn’t make it feel like that.

“I suppose it would be more convenient to live with… a roommate?” Zelda thought out loud. Link tried to look like he was contemplating, as if he hadn’t just assumed it.

“I suppose.” 

The house was already furnished when they moved in. It wasn’t as nice as Link’s other house in Hateno Village, he thought, but they were allowed to stay there for free so it didn’t really matter. Like in most houses in Kakariko, there was only one main room, where their beds as well as the modest kitchen and dining table were. The room had already collected a layer of dust when they moved the little stuff they had in it. Zelda opened the door and all the windows and together they sweeped, dusted and swiped every corner. They threw away the old bedsheets and replaced them with their own. Link had let Zelda pick her bed first, even though they were basically the same, and he was left with the Western end of the room. When he was sure she was facing away, he hid a little stash under his mattress.

The cleaning took only a few hours but they were tired and sweaty after. Dust was everywhere, on their clothes and hair and in their eyes and mouth. Link set up the few weapons he had neatly on the top of his drawer. He would have to get a proper mount for them, but that was for later. He emptied his quiver and picked a few of each elemental arrows and some normal arrows to carry in it. The rest he laid next to his weapons.

“Ah, I see you’ve already moved onto decorating.” Zelda said as she peeked from behind his back. Link nodded.

“These look interesting, why do they look different from those?” Link explained the difference of elemental and normal arrows with pleasure. He told her where he had bought them and how they differed from each other.

“And, if I remember correctly, these were the favourite of Champion Revali. I got these bomb arrows from Hateno Village, they are filled with gunpowder and explode on impact.” Link smiled gladly but Zelda’s eyes widened.

“Which means you have been carrying around explosives this whole time?” She asked. Link didn’t answer but smiled apologetically. 

“What if one of them backfires and sets the others off? You would blow up into pieces. I will not have bombs in our home.” she continued but Link’s thoughts sidetracked for a moment. It was the first time either of them called this their shared home. He was actually living with a girl now. 

“Get rid of them!” Zelda said with a playfully mad voice which brought Link back.

“How, where do I put them?” He said with as much humour in his tone.

“I don’t know, sell them. There was a visiting merchant in town, perhaps he would want to buy them?” 

“So you want him to blow up instead of me?” Link smiled smugly. Zelda opened her mouth in protest but didn’t come up with one. She felt warmth build up on her face as Link waited for her to answer. She shook her head.

“Just get rid of them.”

Later that day Zelda dragged him to the market to get rid of the bomb arrows. Indeed there was a visiting merchant there, and Link was surprised as he heard his name. Granté, where had he heard that before? After he had bought the arrows and moved onto his next customer Link pulled Zelda further and whispered something to her. 

“What? Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked but knew he couldn’t help his shyness.

“Excuse me.” Zelda approached the merchant again.

“Do you happen to know people called Robbie and Jerrin?”

* * *

The word reached Impa that her old friend’s son was in town and she wanted to prepare a feast. She entertained her quest by telling him fun and a bit inappropriate stories about his father and in turn he told her about his more recent adventures. Zelda listened intently as he told her about Robbie's ancient technology research and about the fact that the man was making his own ancient weapons. Link thought that he was a little too proud of his father’s accomplishments, they weren’t his after all. And he seemed to know just as much about Robbie’s research as Link did, so in his opinion he didn’t really deserve to bask in her attention the way he did. He didn’t voice his thoughts but eyed the man from his seat.

After Impa had already retreated to rest upstairs, the younger people continued the night around drinks and conversation. It was the first time they spent time with Paya alone and everyone was getting along well, say for Link’s slight irritation of Granté. Zelda and Paya had moved to a topic that neither of the boys had anything to add to, so for a moment they sat in silence. 

“Ah, yes. You are Link, right? Link, the Hudson’s friend?” Link believed that he did in fact have some other merits in life as well but nodded.

“I have lived in Tarrey Town for a moment now, and when this Hudson learnt that I was heading to Kakariko, he asked me to deliver this.” Granté dug around the pouch on his waist and finally handed Link an envelope.

“He actually asked me to give this to Impa to pass on to you once you saw her, but I guess it’s okay like this too.” Link nodded as a thanks and put the envelope in his pocket. He didn’t usually, or ever, get letters so he wanted to open it in peace.

As the night went on Link grew even more tired of Granté. He seemed to appreciate the attention he got from both Zelda and Paya and didn’t miss an opportunity to boast on his parents’ success. Apparently he also made quite a good living as a merchant (by selling his items for way more than they were worth, thought Link) and did not let the fact go unheard. After a few more drinks he was almost intolerable to him. 

Link was getting sleepy but didn’t want to go to bed yet. He tried to convince himself that it was only his protective instincts that made him not want to leave drunken Zelda (and Paya of course) alone with a stranger. Sure he was Robbie and Jerrin’s son but he couldn't trust him only based on that. He also tried not to be annoyed about the fact that Zelda seemed to really get along with Granté and enjoy listening to his stories. It was easy enough to ignore the feeling until Link saw him, while laughing at something she had said, place his hand on her arm. Link stared at the man and wondered if it would be lunatic behaviour to charge over the small table between them and snap that hand in two. It most definitely would, he decided. Quite the violent reaction to such a small incident. He just acted so suavely around her it made Link insane and the alcohol in his blood did not help. He made her laugh and had a lot to say about all things she was into. He was hitting on her, Link was sure, and there was nothing he could do about it. He tried to hide his frustration but scowled the man for the rest of the night.

To Link’s relief the night was coming to an end soon. Link, Zelda and Granté thanked Paya for the meal and wished her good night. Link couldn’t get home soon enough, and he started to walk down the long wooden stairs that connected Impa’s house to the village.

“I truly hadn’t realised it was this late already. It sure is dark out there. Let me walk you home.” he heard Granté, who was still standing at the door with Zelda, say. Link turned his head and stopped. The man was really asking for it now. He was about four steps away so his fist wouldn’t reach him, but maybe a kick? But no, he just took a few steps closer and looked him in the eyes.

“Thank you, but I think we can find the way to _our_ home just fine. Goodnight.” In the periphery of his vision he saw Zelda bow slightly and head down the stairs. He stared at him aggressively for a few more seconds before going after her.

Zelda stood in the middle of their room with her eyebrows raised as Link closed the door behind him. He went to kick off his boots and felt her stare on him.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, not sounding heated but he knew it was only calm before the storm.

“Uh, yes. Thank you. Why?” he answered, trying to sound indifferent. Still, after all this time, being the object of Zelda’s anger felt almost unbearable to him. Perhaps it was because she was the only one whose opinion of him he really cared about. He braced himself and indeed, her voice was irritated now.

“Then why did you snap at him?” 

"He got on my nerves, that's all." 

"But why, he was nice and polite to us all evening." 

"Well for you especially." Link said, regretting his words immediately. 

"And what does that mean?" Link got up and walked across the room, trying to look like he was fetching something. He ended up pouring himself a cup of water. 

"Well you must have noticed." Link said knowing it would only add fuel to the fire. Zelda raised her eyebrows again. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. 

"Well clearly he was… You know, trying to… He was being too friendly to you." Zelda was silent for a moment but smiled then.

“Pardon?” 

“What, it was obvious!” Link cried and walked back over to his bed. Zelda looked amused, and moved to a window facing the direction they had come from. 

“He was too friendly?” 

"It's not a good thing. He's an arse." Link groaned as he got ready to bed. Zelda sat on her bed as well, smiling to herself. Regarding what Link said she felt nice knowing that Granté was interested in her, but what made her smile even wider was the fact that Link seemed so upset about it. However twisted that was. 

As Link threw his trousers next to his bed he heard the rustling of paper and remembered the letter he had received. He felt it was the perfect time to open it as Zelda was, as discreetly as possible, changing into her nightgown and he really needed something else to look at and think about. He would have to get a room divider as soon as possible. 

The envelope was sealed with a modest stamp that was easy to tear open. Text on the paper was written in big, bulky letters and Link could tell Hudson had written it himself. The letter caught Zelda’s attention and after changing her clothes, she walked over to ask who it was from. Link had never been a fast reader and the letters jumped in his eyes. Zelda’s stare and his tipsiness didn’t help either. 

“It’s from my friend Hudson, he lives up North in Akkala.” Link said while skimming through the text. Suddenly his mouth opened and Zelda waited impatiently for him to tell what the letter was about.

“Hudson, he… He’s going to be a father.”

* * *

Link had not met her for a few months now. He had retrieved the Master Sword and visited some of the places in the Sheikah Slate. They had helped him remember and memory by memory he started to feel a closer connection to the princess. He knew it wasn’t right to just leave for months after such a heavy conversation. For some reason it just didn't feel right anymore. The princess wasn't the only reason for that. 

The more Link thought about it, the more disgusted he became with himself. He had hardly known who he was himself, let alone what type of relationships he had, but still he approached her. He kept going back time after time knowing full well he was leading her on. She had said herself that she didn't want to catch feelings but he knew she had failed. Somehow he had closed his eyes and pretended not to understand. 

After their last conversation he had no excuse anymore. Had he used her? In retrospect he hadn’t really known what type of relationship he had to women in the first place when he met her. Had he always been like this, was this like him to drag someone into his life for such hedonistic reasons? Soon he had started feeling guilty, so even if he used to be like that, he at least now had a conscience.

These last months had gone by slowly. He had burnt his skin, swallowed probably a kilogram of sand and made some very questionable choices to get into Gerudo Town, all in order to calm the Divine Beast Vah Naboris. The night before he and the chief of the Gerudo people were supposed to run into battle was cold but he was sweating. He was supposed to rest and gather energy, but instead he laid awake, trying to resist the urge to warp to Hateno Village. 

He lied awake. The heat of the desert was like something he had never experienced before but the nights were cold. The inn's bed was hard and he dreamed about his bed back home. He could go and sleep there but he knew he wouldn't sleep alone. He couldn't resist it. He turned the slate around so the screen faced downwards. Soon he pushed it under his other things, he couldn't sleep while looking at it. It was hard sleeping while he knew she wanted him to come as much as he did.

After beating the monster lurking inside Vah Naboris, Impa said it was finally time to head to the castle, time for him to fulfill his destiny. With all the divine beasts freed, all was ready for him and the princess to seal away the calamity. He knew he couldn't leave before visiting her. If Ganon would be the end of him, she deserved to see him one more time. And if not, things would be that much more difficult. 

The castle loomed in the horizon, behind it the sky was slowly turning purple. Link sat in his backyard, waiting to hear footsteps behind him. He knew when she would leave work, and as the sound of teleportation was unmistakable, was sure she knew he was back. 

"Link." he heard a faint voice behind him. He turned, and there she was. Link saw how hard it was for her to see him, she was hugging herself, and her usual chirpy mood was gone. He got up and for a moment they stared at each other. Ivee was the one to give up first and she run up to him and pressed herself against his chest.

"It's time, isn't it?" It was so hard to find words. Link nodded and she pressed herself deeper into him. He crossed his arms behind her back, pressing his cheek against her hair. 

There they stood, saying goodbye without actually changing a word. She cried and trembled and Link could not find anything to say. After a few times of trying she managed to gather herself and pulled away from him. She wiped her cheeks and chuckled through the tears. 

"Why am I crying, I know you're going to give it what it deserves." Link wasn't so sure. 

"You don't die, okay?" she tried to act cheerful, and more like herself. Link wanted to say he wouldn't, but he could not promise that. He nodded. 

"This is it then, I guess." she said. Both of them avoided each other's eyes. 

"I guess."

"If- I mean when you come back, I guess. I guess you…" she motioned at the castle with her hand. 

"I don't know, but I guess she'll need me." he said. 

"Of course, of course. I understand." 

"Ivee." Link said. He placed his hands on her elbows and thought for a while. 

"Thank you. For... for everything." he said quietly. 

"And, and I'm sorry." She didn't look at him but he saw her lower lip starting to tremble again. Link feared she wasn't going to answer at all. 

"It's okay. You don't need to apologise. You haven't done anything." Link knew that wasn't true. He could've done something. He could've stopped. Ivee took a few long, deep breaths. She wanted to say something without crying. 

"I want to thank you, too. It has been… Incredible, knowing you. I know we will probably meet after… After everything but I suppose a lot of things will be different." Link tried to say something but she cut him off. 

"And like I said. If it is what you want, I want you to be with her." she couldn't resist the tears anymore. They were flowing on her cheeks in streams, and dropped on her arms. 

"You, her, everything between you. It's foretold. It's something bigger. You're a knight, she's a princess, it's a damn fairytale. But as much as I wish happiness for you two, I'm honoured to have been a part of your story." Link pulled her against him again. Her words, they were so full of sorrow. This wasn't the end. He would still visit her. And he couldn't be sure he was in love with the princess, although… This was probably for the best. For both of them. 

They held each other for a long time. The evening had almost turned into a night when Link stood in front of his front door and watched Ivee walk away. Before stepping on the flimsy bridge that connected his house to the village she stopped and turned. 

"Link." 

"If after all you... I want you to know that I'm here. If, if after all-" 

"I know." 


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> Remember how before last chapter I said it will be one of the longest chapters in the story? Well sike, I made some last minute additions to this one and got a little carried away. I have a habit of wanting to rewrite everything the last night it seems. :)  
> Also I realised, because of the preface the site thinks this is the fourth chapter. It looks a little silly in the beginning of the chapter when it says "Chapter four: Chapter three". Unfortunately I don't have any other names thought out for the chapters so I hope it's not too confusing!
> 
> I suggest you to check the content warnings for this chapter, they are at the end of this note.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Content warnings  
> Death of a child, mentions of suicide, self harm

**Chapter Three**

Link stared and stared at a date in the calendar. It resonated with him but the reason was in the dark. It was summer now and he wondered if it was some holiday but he simply could not tell. He thought so much his head hurt, it was right at the tip of his tongue. If he could some way think harder, go deeper into his mind he was sure he would remember. A date. In the summer. An important date, something he would remember after a hundred years.

Zelda lifted her eyes from the book she was reading and noticed Link, crouched down, pressing his palms against his forehead. She rushed out of her bed to ask what was wrong when suddenly he sprung up. 

“Your birthday!” he yelled in relief. It took Zelda a moment to understand the situation, but then she realized. He remembered.

“That’s what it is, in two days, your birthday, isn’t it?” he pointed at the calendar. She checked and indeed, it was. She hadn’t even remembered herself. Link looked pleased as she nodded her head.

“You remembered.” she said with a smile on her face.

“You’re turning eigh- I mean hundred and eighteen.” Link smiled as well, still seeming very proud of himself.

“Well yes, but let’s drop the hundred from there, shall we. I sound ancient.”

“Aren’t you?” Link teased and she poked him on the side.

“Stop it, I’m a mere eighteen-year-old youngster and that is all. And what about you, hundred and nineteen? You’re a grandpa.” Link tried to poke her back but she dodged and giggled. 

Their day continued cheerfully and every second of it they spent together. While visiting Impa Link tried to act more civil but couldn’t help but join Zelda as she joked about her age, or any other subject really. Somehow she seemed to know his sides were ticklish and tried to poke them every time he called her ancient, and every time he giggled like a child. After calming down he glanced at Impa, who at least pretended not to notice. Link feared he was bothering Zelda as she worked, but he just couldn’t stop talking to her, couldn’t stop making jokes or trying to make her laugh. But she didn’t at least look bothered however, and just as often she lifted her head to make a comment or tease him about something. As the evening progressed Impa told the two to go home if they couldn’t keep it down and they decided they had already worked enough, despite not actually getting much done that day. 

Link went to bed with his thoughts racing and falling asleep was hard. It was way past midnight but he wasn’t tired at all. He wanted to get up and ask if she was asleep already, if she wanted to talk with him just for a moment longer. He considered it, but turned on his side instead. The past few weeks they had grown a lot closer, much due to their housing situation, and lately, everything she did made him smile. While his memories, and the lack of them, still bothered him it was easier to bear now when he could direct his focus elsewhere, mainly on her. Living with Zelda was way more pleasant than living in the Inn, however it had not gone completely without problems. Living with a girl had turned out to be a lot more difficult than he had expected. They could be much more relaxed now in the privacy of their own home, and that came with its own challenges. 

Link turned on his other side and looked at the room divider he had crafted for them. It was not Zelda’s fault, and he was quite sure she didn’t do it purposefully, but sometimes, some things she did made it extremely hard for him to draw his eyes from her. It was simple little things, so ordinary that he doubted she even was aware of doing them. But if he didn’t move his eyes, if he didn't look away, his day would get much more difficult. If he didn’t, his mind would be filled with thoughts that would not bear the light of day. And at the same pace as they were growing closer, forcing himself to look away took more effort.

But he didn’t want to go down that path this time. He promised himself he would never again get involved with someone for stupid reasons like that, and without thinking it trough first. Also he lived with Zelda, he was her roommate and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable as he didn't know how she felt at all. These were a noble thoughts, but they didn’t take away the feeling. They really didn’t, and he turned on his stomach and pressed his face against his pillow in agony.

* * *

Some time had passed since Link received the first letter from Tarrey Town, and that morning he got another. It was in a fancier envelope, and instead of Link, it was directed for “Her majesty the Princess and her knight”. A messenger brought the letter while they were preparing breakfast. Food wasn’t as scarce in the kingdom anymore, but some food products, such as coffee, were still quite rare. Yesterday a merchant from Faron region had brought some to the village however, and Link had bought a big sack of beans from her. He wasn’t a caffeine addict, but every chance he would get it he celebrated. Zelda was more fond of sweet things and preferred tea. 

Link’s morning had been great. After waking up he had headed to the market to get breakfast and to his pleasant surprise the butcher of the village was frying small fat sausages on his stand. He also got crepes and berries for Zelda, who he knew wasn’t a fan of meat. When he got home he found her preparing rice and eggs, and suddenly their ordinary breakfast had turned into a feast. They had agreed to open the letter together but Zelda grabbed it before he could stain it with his greasy fingers.

“May I?” she asked while studying the envelope. Link nodded as he tried to sip his burning hot coffee.

“Oh, lovely. As we guessed it is from your friend Hudson and his wife. It is a… It is an invitation! To the naming ceremony of their son! It is not until weeks but I… Ah, Link this is so exciting. To imagine that he gets to live in a world full of peace and hope.”

Link was happy too, genuinely. Hudson was one of the first friends he made after awakening and he had been thrilled to follow his adventures. And now he was going to have his own family. He couldn’t wait to see him, and his son. Zelda gasped. She placed the paper in front of him.

“Look! Read it!” Link searched for the spot she had pointed. A sentence. He put his cup  down to get a good look. 

“Oh, Goddess, Link are you illiterate? There. They want you to be his godfather.” Link’s mouth dropped open. A godfather? He wasn’t sure what that meant but Zelda explained that would anything happen to the parents, a godparent was the one to look after the child. It was also godparent’s duty to make sure the parents were raising the child well and according to the word of Goddess Hylia.

As happy as he was to be a part of the child’s life, the idea made him a little anxious. If anything happened to Hudson and Rhondson, would he be a good enough parent for their son? Zelda congratulated him with a wide smile on her face. Would she help him if this duty, Goddess forbid, some day fell on his shoulders? He knew she would make an amazing mother, she was so smart and kind and gentle. And she would definitely know how to raise the child according to the word of Goddess as well. Link shook his head slightly, he should not even think about such a thing, he would make sure nothing would happen to Hudson and Rhondson. 

The rest of the day he spent thinking about the letter. He alternated between stress and excitement but the more time passed the less anxious he felt. He could not help but smile to himself while thinking that soon, there was going to be an actual, whole new person that he got to meet, and follow as he grew up. And just as Zelda said, to imagine that he is born into a world where the threat of an apocalypse isn’t constantly looming over his head. Link could play with him and teach him things. He would teach him everything he knew, everything but how to fight. He would make sure he never needed to learn that.

* * *

The world seemed very large around him. People were taller, the man walking in front of him had longer legs and he walked so fast Link almost jogged behind him. The man was holding his hand, dragging him through the yard. His surroundings looked hazy but he could tell he was at the castle, and the man in front of him was his relative. Grandfather, perhaps.

The man stopped, and let go of Link’s hand to salute another guard. The men started talking but Link didn’t pay much attention, not until he heard the names of his parents. He didn’t know what was going on but the men didn’t look happy. 

“Where are mummy and daddy?” he heard a child’s voice say. The men didn’t answer so he tugged at his grandfather’s sleeve. The man pulled his hand away and still paid no attention to him. Their faces were getting even more disturbing and Link felt scared. 

“Grandpa? Grandpa?” he said and pulled his sleeve again. This time the man turned to him while shushing angrily. Link’s lip trembled. He didn’t want to make his grandpa angry, but very much wanted to know what they were saying about his family. The other man also said another name and Link saw his grandfather’s hands clenched into fists.

“Grandpa, where are mummy and daddy? Where is Aryll, Gran-” 

“Silence, Link!” his grandfather shouted while squeezing him hard on the shoulder. His face was scary, it was red and there was a big vein visible on his forehead. Link was starting to cry, but felt someone shake his body.

“Link. Link, wake up. It’s okay.” He flinched awake, and after blinking for a moment in confusion saw Zelda’s face. She was on her knees next to his bed and held his shoulder with her hand.

“It’s okay, you had a nightmare. Everything is okay now.” she repeated and Link realized he was covered in sweat, gasping for breath. He rubbed his eyes and swiped the sweat from his upper lip. After a moment he calmed down a little and thanked her for waking him up. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked as he sat up and lowered his feet on the floor.

“I want to go outside.” he said and got up. Zelda followed her to their porch, where he sat in silence, hugging his knees.

“You don’t come out here to work out, do you?” she asked and he glanced at her before slightly shaking his head. The chirping of grasshoppers and gentle clatter of wooden ornaments swaying in the wind filled in the silence as they sat there. The night was quite cool and soon Link started shivering. Zelda asked if he wanted to go back inside but he shook his head.

“Was I an orphan?” he asked all of a sudden, very quietly while staring at nothing in particular. Zelda sighed and took a more comfortable position on the floor. It seemed Link didn’t see a nightmare but a memory.

“Unfortunately, yes. You were.” she answered, just as quietly. Link bit his lips but didn’t react in other ways. His face was thoughtful and Zelda felt awful looking at him, knowing he was probably going through one of the worst memories of his life in his head.

“I had a sister. Do you know what happened to her?” Zelda felt a stabbing pain in her chest. It was his right to know, she told herself, however much it hurt. It took her a moment to compose herself before speaking.

“You did.” she whispered, while staring at her hands.

“She was five years your junior if I remember correctly. She was… She was very ill.” Link turned his head.

“Did she die? From the illness?” he asked. Zelda got even more uncomfortable and nodded.

“What about my parents? What happened to them?” Zelda closed her eyes. It was his right to know, she repeated in her head, while trying to hold back tears. It was his right to know. Once again she spoke quietly.

“You were at the castle, when it happened. Your father who, who was a knight, went home to be with your mother and sister, while your grandfather, my mother’s appointed knight, took care of you. Your sister’s illness, it had gotten worse.” She lifted her head to meet his eyes and took a moment before continuing.

“While you were here- I mean, at the castle, an accident happened. Somehow your parents forgot to close a hatch from their fireplace. All the- the goal gas, it got into the house while they were sleeping.” she said and wiped the corners of her eyes. 

“But…” she continued, but snapped her mouth shut and looked away. Link waited for her to go on but she didn’t.

“But what?”

“It’s… Nothing.”

“Zelda, ple-”

“No. I’m sorry, but don’t.” she cut him off, but he didn’t give in.

“Zelda if it concerns my family, I need to know.” Still she didn’t look at him and bit her lip.

“Well, if that is what you wish.” she sighed.

“They said, your sister, that she was already dead before your parents… before what happened. This caused some to think-” she sighed heavily. 

“...to think that maybe it wasn’t an accident after all.” Link brought both of his shaking hands to his face and leaned his forehead against a pole on the porch. He stayed like that for a while and Zelda didn’t know what to do.

“I’m so sorry.” she finally whispered. Link lifted his face but didn’t look at her.

“They… they did it to themselves?” he whispered, more to himself than to her.

“We don’t know that. It might as well have been an accident.” Link nodded his head slightly but she saw he didn’t believe her. She was amazed how he could still stay so controlled. He didn’t cry, and though Zelda knew he was hurting inside, his face hardly showed any of it. It worried her. 

“I’ve heard everyone loved them. So much so that even when your grandfather tried to sell the estate no one wanted to buy it. The whole village cared about you and wanted you to inherit the house when you grew up. When I last visited Hateno it was still there, if you wa-”

“What?” Link’s eyes widened. 

“What? Yes, you lived in Hateno Village, well, a little South-West from there I think.” 

Link heard his heartbeat inside his head. No, he thought. No, please don’t let it be.

"The house still stands?" he asked.

"Well... yes. I heard that someone bough-" 

Link pushed his palms deep into his eye sockets. He put together everything he had learnt today and what Bolson had told him about his house and it all checked out. Suddenly his mouth filled with saliva and he needed to concentrate on not throwing up. He had slept there all this time, hell, he had taken Ivee there, not knowing that was the place where his own parents took their lives. It made him want to scream.

“What is it?” Zelda asked. All of a sudden Link had gone completely white, and was visibly shaking. She already thought he wouldn’t answer at all, but after a moment he spoke with a quiet, monotone voice.

“I know that house. They were going to tear it down so I bought it. I didn’t know. I didn’t know it was that house.”

There was a lot to unpack there, but Link seemed like he didn’t want to speak another word, so that was where their conversation ended. Both of them knew they wouldn’t get any more sleep that night, and after sitting on the porch for some time they moved inside. Zelda made them tea and in spite still seeming anxious Link drank it and even had some breakfast. The cheerful atmosphere of the previous day was gone, and both did their morning routines alone in silence. After the sun had fully risen they got ready to go to Impa’s place, but before Zelda opened the door Link stopped her.

“Hey.” he said and Zelda turned around.

“I’m sorry. It’s your birthday and I made you sad. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” 

“No, no don’t be. You need to go through these things and I’m happy to be there for you.” She said and stroked his arm. That seemed to help a little, and he nodded.

“You know what, it is my birthday. What do you say we take a day off? Do something fun?” Link gave her a small smile and nodded again.

“Happy birthday by the way.” 

“Thank you!" she said, and tapped her lip in thought. 

"How would you feel about a picnic? I have always dreamed of hiking up to one of those hills surrounding the village. The trek might be hard but the view will be worth it.” 

“Careful there senior citizen.” Link said, his voice sounding a little less melancholic now. 

* * *

They headed out from the Western gate and after the wide plains opened up in front of them, they turned North, where the ground elevated so that they were able to walk all the way up to Lantern Lake. They couldn’t make it up to the top of the tall and sheer hills, but they were high enough already, Zelda said. The view was amazing indeed, almost the whole kingdom opened up in front of them. They could clearly see the castle, to the North the mighty Death Mountain rose, and to the West they could almost spot Rito Village. The weather was fair, but up there the wind blew quite strongly. 

Link set up their lunch on a blanket and, disregarding the uncomfortable discussion in the morning, their date was quite pleasant. Zelda took off her shoes and rested her feet on the grass while basking in the warm sunlight. Small flowers grew here and there, and unconsciously Link plugged some of them, piling them on his lap. Zelda turned to look at him and gasped gently. He followed her eyes and realised she was looking at the flowers, and quickly collected them into a bunch. She brought her hands to her cheeks and smiled widely as Link handed her the quickly together thrown bouquet. Typical, Link thought. Of course he would only ever be that smooth by accident. 

“How are you feeling?” Zelda asked after they had sat in silence for a while, admiring the view.

“Hey, it’s your birthday we don’t have to talk about me.” Link answered. He was laying on his back and Zelda settled next to him.

“I want to know.” she said. Link sighed. He would prefer not to think about his feelings, but it was hard to say no to her.

“Well. I’m fine I guess.” he said, following the white summer clouds above them with his eyes.

“Good. I’m sorry you had to go through all that. It must be rough.” Link answered only by nodding. 

“How about your memory?” she asked then.

“Zelda…” Link sighed.

“Sorry. We can talk about something else.” she added quickly, but neither said anything. Link turned to his side to look at her.

“It is returning, slowly. Piece by piece.” he said after a moment. Zelda turned to her side as well and waited for Link to continue, but he didn’t. 

“That’s good. And if you ever want to ask, or talk about anything…” she said and Link nodded his head. 

“It seems I’ve been involved in quite a bunch of disagreeable situations.” he said with a faint laugh. Zelda didn’t laugh but looked at him with a concerned look.

“Well, it never was very easy for you. I understand if the memories are disturbing.”

“What wasn’t easy?” 

“Life. In general.” Zelda said. She was taken back to the conversation where he first opened up to her about his troubles over a hundred years ago. She lost her sleep for many nights because of it. He was bearing so much, and all of it by himself. She almost hoped he never got all of the memories back.

The boy was all alone. Always had been. Growing up in the service of the castle deprived him of the opportunity of a warm, familiar guardian and normal development of social skills. Making friends had always been hard for him and because of his small size, he was picked on by the other squires. Then he got the position most squires and even knights dreamed of, being the appointed knight of a royal. This could have been perfect for him, for his status and self-esteem if it weren’t for Zelda’s stupid and childish behaviour. She never forgave herself for that, he had done nothing wrong, quite the opposite actually but still she acted up like a petty teenager. Luckily she understood to change her attitude and found Link to be a sweet, funny and kind-hearted person. 

Link was thoughtful. It felt nice knowing that he had judged the situation right, he did indeed have a lot of painful memories, and he wasn’t just weak. This however promised no end for his troubles. But at least Zelda knew now that he was struggling.

* * *

Link bowed and quietly wished the princess good night. She closed the door to her room and he started to make his way to his chamber. 

"Sir. Link." The hair on his neck rose as he recognized the voice behind him. Quickly he turned around and let out a quiet “Your highness.” as he descended to a deep bow. His heart was racing and the conversation he had with Zelda some time ago flashed through his mind, about what the King might do if he found out how close Link was to her. He felt like he had been caught red handed doing something he shouldn't. 

"Arise, sir." the King said. Link would have preferred not to. He didn't want to face the man's eyes. 

"I see my daughter keeps you busy all through the late hours of the evening." Link bowed slightly. What was that supposed to mean? 

"Men, please escort us to the garden, after that you are dismissed." The King said to the two knights that stood in position behind him. 

"Yes, sire." they said in unison. 

The garden was a round area inside the castle that had no roof above it. Small paths crossed here and there, and they were surrounded by hundreds of different types of flowers and plants. Link actually knew quite a lot about the flora, the Princess was eager to tell him little details about them on their walks.  In the middle of the garden flowed a small stream. A tiny wooden bridge crossed it and led to a seating area, where there were benches and chairs accompanied with small tea tables. The paper lanterns were lit all hours of the day, and together with fireflies they illuminated the area beautifully. 

The King made small talk with Link as they approached the seating area. Link was nervous and unsure of how big a part he should take in the conversation. Finally the King seemed to come to the point of why they were there. 

"Ah yes." he smiled. They, or rather he, had been talking about Zelda. 

"My daughter she… She can be a handful. She is a very strong willed and unyielding young woman. It must not always be easy for you. You have however performed your duty exceptionally." Link bowed again. 

"Thank you, sire." 

They stopped next to a bench on which the King sat with a small grunt. To Link's surprise, he patted the empty space next to him. 

"Please sit." Link was nervous, sitting next to the King felt uncomfortable but as always he didn't have a choice. He resisted the urge to bounce his leg. 

“You have been quite the favourite child of destiny.” the King said. 

“The day you pulled that sword, I knew we were getting closer to the prophecy coming true. It eases my mind to know we have such a skilled and dedicated individual as you on our side.” he continued while eyeing the Master Sword that leaned against the bench next to Link. He didn’t know what else to do, so he bowed his head.

“I am however worried about my daughter. It seems she is not getting any closer to finding her power and I am unsure of what to do.” Link’s heart dropped. He had feared this was the direction the conversation would go.

“You have two great duties on your shoulders. I place all my trust on you and luckily it does not seem that I have any reason to question this decision. She is the most important thing for me and I love her more than anything else in the world. However neither of us can let ourselves be blinded by our feelings. I take no pleasure in this, but it must be said.” Link held his breath.

“Would these two duties of yours ever come in a cross-section, would there ever be a moment where you have to choose one, you  _ must  _ choose the one given to you by our Goddess Hylia. Do you understand?”

All colours left Link's face. This was not what he had expected at all. He had to break eye contact with the King to compose himself and looked at his palms instead. He understood well what he meant. The problem was, it wasn't even a question for him. He could never do what the King asked of him. 

"This clearly causes conflict inside you, and as Zelda's father I am glad she has such a devoted knight. But I need you to understand. Unless she is able to unlock her power, this is bigger than her. Bigger than any of us, except for you. That is why I am asking, nay, ordering you to choose your divine destiny over her, should your hand ever be forced." 

Link realized he still hadn't looked back at the King. His heart had sunken to his stomach and his mouth was dry. This wasn't fair. He could not ask this of him. He was Zelda's father, for Hylia's sake. Was Link the only one of the two who had any concern for her well-being?

Of course, the King didn't know the whole truth. He didn't know how, after the bumpy start and disregarding the pressure he was under, Link was happier now that he had ever been. The King didn't know that every morning his step was lighter and mind clearer, because he knew he would spend the day together with her. He didn't know that every brush of hands and every meeting of their eyes was special to him. Or how her smile warmed his heart better than any fire. And of course he didn't, because that was exactly what should not have been happening. The King simply expected he was a good knight, eager to fulfill his duty.

But after all Link that was what he was, a knight. A soldier. When given an order, he simply had no other choice but to say yes. And so he lied. 

"Yes, sire." 

* * *

The trip to Tarrey Town took two days, but was far easier than Link had anticipated. Last he had been to Akkala, it was a dangerous region where monsters and guardians patrolled the roads. It was actually quite pleasant now. Autumn foliage was slowly taking over the land and the air was cool, but not too cold yet. As they got closer to the sea, the air grew colder and the breeze became brisker. 

The party consisted of Zelda, Link and a coachman who sat at the front of the carriage, adeptly steering the two horses. Inside the coach sat the princess and her knight, who very much would have preferred to travel on his own horse. The trip was long and took several hours of sitting still, which felt difficult for him. Zelda had packed a stack of books with her and busied herself with them the whole journey. She offered to lend one for Link but he declined. Zelda had to repeatedly ask him to stop tapping or drumming the wooden structures of the coach. Finally he accepted Zelda’s offer and tried to read a book called Ancient Relics: Theories and Definitions but it was even more agonizing than just sitting still. He didn’t want to sleep even though Zelda told him he could. The feeling of uneasiness that Akkala brought with it was still too severe for him to let his guard down.

Both of them preferred to travel by horse but the reason they chose the coach was a logistical one. Zelda had lost control over herself when buying presents for the new family and they could have never been able to bring all of them without the carriage. She had also packed a finer dress for herself for the naming ceremony, and gotten Link to actually purchase a suit, and didn’t want to wrinkle them by stuffing them in a small bag. So they sat in the steadily moving coach and Link bounced his leg out of boredom. Zelda put down her book and looked out the window in her thoughts. Link noticed this and wanted to ask what she was thinking, but didn’t want to disturb her.

“I have been wondering about the child.” she said finally.

“The letter said it was a son. A boy. I wonder how they knew that.” Link raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t thought about it but it did sound strange.

“Maybe the Gerudos have some way of knowing. We should ask about that. Also…” She bit her lip. It seemed like she was looking for a way to word her thoughts. Like it was a subject that she had to watch her mouth about.

“A boy. That’s interesting. It is very rare for a Gerudo to have a boy child. That usually means that… That he will become the leader of their people.” She looked him in the eyes. 

“The last time that happened was a long time ago.”  Link knew what she was talking about. In the ancient times there was a Gerudo leader. A male. It didn’t end well for the people of Hyrule.

“That’s terrible, I shouldn’t say things like that.” she scolded herself and looked out again. 

“That was a long time ago. And we are talking about an infant child.” 

Link understood her though. They had just recovered from the last reincarnation of Ganon, it was okay for her to be affected by that. No one wanted to go through it again.

“Don’t tell anyone I said that.” Zelda said with a slight smile on her lips. Link nodded. As if she even needed to ask that. 

They took a little detour off of Ternio Trail, the road that would have taken them straight to Tarrey Town, to spend the night at Foothill stable. They were now officially in the Eldin region and the majestic Death Mountain stood before them. They had sent a letter to inform the stable about their arrival and requested three beds to be reserved for a night. The sun had already set once they arrived, but the stable folk were still waiting for them impatiently. A meal had been prepared, and two beds dragged to one end of the stable and were completely separated from others with curtains. 

It was the first time Zelda visited a stable of this kind. Link didn’t quite remember if they existed before the calamity, but at least they weren’t shaped so strangely back then. He knew this because she laughed slightly at the sight of the building. It was a large tent with a statue of a horse’s head on top of it. Link had always thought it looked a bit silly too.  They were greeted with the greatest respect, and a kind young woman showed them to their “room”, to where their dinner was also served. Although it was late, Link didn’t feel tired at all. He felt nervous about the naming ceremony that would take place the following day. Also sitting still for so many hours meant he hadn’t had a chance to work off his energy. He left Zelda, who somehow was still reading, in the tent and headed outside to train for a little bit. 

From the stable to the East stood Akkala Citadel. The sight of it made Link anxious. During his way to the castle he activated Akkala Tower, which was a tall ancient Sheikah-structure that connected the slate to a map of the area nearby. The memory made him shiver. The citadel was one of the many places he almost lost his life in, but this one was especially traumatizing. The fortress was in the middle of a very desolate area and was infested with guardians and monsters, almost to the same degree as the castle. Even getting close to the tower was hard, and climbing it was frankly a suicide mission. With great effort he made it and swore never to return back to that place.

Now the citadel was in front of him again and it made him uneasy. He searched for a place where he couldn’t see it and behind the stable he found a small elevation with enough rock to block the view to the fortress, and decided that would do. He took off his boots and tunic, but kept the light undershirt on. With some gentle stretches and exercises he warmed up his body and tried to empty his mind. While training, one’s thoughts had to be completely in the moment or he could hurt himself or others, he remembered his old masters’ words. He took his positions and exhaled deeply. He stood there for a while with his eyes closed, breathing, concentrating. In his first life he had spent years training and perfecting a handful of katas and even though his mind didn’t, his body remembered them to the last detail. 

He opened his eyes but didn’t see. His thoughts were tied to the movement and for a while he escaped Eldin. The shadow of the citadel looming behind him. His responsibilities, fears, thoughts and memories. Just movement. With his sword he hit something that wasn’t there. After years and years of practicing how to bring it not too far but not too close it felt like there actually was something there. He emptied his lungs with a loud kiai that echoed around him. The kata took him a few minutes to complete, but it felt much longer. When he came back, his muscles were tired but relaxed. His mind was in harmony for a moment and he didn’t even remember the distressing memory from Akkala Tower. 

When he opened his eyes he wished that Zelda was there. She wasn’t. He secretly wished she had seen him train, seen how he still remembered everything after all this time. He glanced around him but there was no one there. From an old habit he bowed before stepping back and wiping sweat on the tunic. Reality started to come back to him and he decided to continue with muscle workout. 

His workout took about an hour and he was sweating heavily even though the night was quite cool. He knew that a little ways from the stable the ground descended and created a small beach on the shore of Cephla Lake. The water would be cold but he could probably be able to bathe there quickly. After a bit of considering he decided that it wouldn’t take too long, and Zelda probably wouldn’t mind him leaving the stable for that time. He was also so sweaty he didn’t want to walk through the tent in the middle of all those people. 

Last time he was here, there was a small camp of monsters. Now all that was left was a pile of bones. The slaughter flashed through his mind and he shook his head to get rid of it. He remembered how he felt about killing after his awakening. Even though he knew monsters were bad, he viewed them more like animals and killing them felt uncomfortable. Soon however he learnt he had to abandon any compassion or mercy for the creatures. On his way to the princess he had to harden himself, to become more the way he was before dying, he guessed. Alongside monsters, he had to kill animals and also people. 

The first Yiga-clan member he killed changed him. It took him several days to get over the fact and he felt physically repulsed by himself. Even though they worshipped Ganon, they were still someone’s sons and daughters. Or even worse, fathers or mothers. But as his journey went on, more manslaughter happened and he simply had to stop thinking about it. That was what he continued to do to this day.

Killing also reminded him of dying. He didn’t completely remember the last moment of his past life but the soul-wrenching feeling of knowing his life was going to end soon haunted his mind. The memory made him feel physically weak and sick. He tried to breath in through his nose and out through the mouth but however deep he tried it still felt like he was suffocating.

It was the citadel, Link was sure, that brought up thoughts like these. Seeing it again opened gates for more unsettling memories and thoughts to rise. He tried to change the subject of thought completely, but it was hard. The cold water helped. It was so cold it almost hurt, and Link laid down in the shallow water, allowing it to cover all of his body except for the face. Focus. Focus on the pain, he told himself. He didn’t know how long he laid there, but the more uncomfortable he felt, the less he was troubled by the thoughts. The horrible fate of his family, the memory of dying, guilt about killing and the disturbing life he was slowly learning he had lived, it all plagued him that day but the pain helped. Every passing moment took him closer to losing his consciousness and it attracted him.

“Link!” a shrill voice echoed from the rock walls of the path to the lake. 

“Good Goddess! What are you doing?” 

So now she was here. Link sat up and his joints were stiff. He had lost all feeling from his hands and his thoughts were disoriented, probably due to the cold and deep state of meditation. He reached for his clothes but couldn’t tell if he was touching the ground or not and collapsed on the rock. Perhaps he had laid there a little too long.  Zelda waved to the coachman who had come with her to look for Link, as a sign to return to the stable. She ran down the path and removed her cloak.

“Are you alright? What are you doing?” she bombarded him with questions, but he didn’t really have an answer. All he wanted was to get his clothes to cover his naked body.

“Bathing.” he grunted. 

“In this freezing water? Your lips are blue, how long have you been here?” 

Zelda would probably know the answer better than him. But he really didn’t need all this hassle, he was just trying to clear his mind. He was trembling as she helped him out of the water and wrapped the cloak around him. Eldin was known for its hot climate, but they were merely at the base of the mountain, and the cool autumn weather of Akkala had reached the stable already, and it showed in the temperature of the water.

“Link, look at me, are you alright? Did you pass out?” Zelda took both of his ice cold hands to her own and tried to reach his eyes.

“Uhh… I don’t think so.” 

“Then why were you laying there? That’s dangerous.”

Link was silent for a moment. She wouldn’t really understand, even if he knew how to explain himself.

“I don’t know.” he said finally, never meeting her eyes. 

Zelda sighed. She wrapped her other arm around his shoulders and used the other to rub his bicep. Link was known for not expressing his emotions outwardly but now his look was scary hollow. 

“It has to do with… the memories. Hasn’t it?”

Link glanced at her but didn’t say anything. Zelda sighed again, deeper. She pushed his head against her shoulder and spoke quietly.

“I’m so sorry. But you… You can’t do this sort of thing.“

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” he said against her shoulder. He tried his best to stop shaking but it was involuntary. Zelda rested her cheek on the top of his head. She would have never thought the situation was this bad. She had naively thought he was getting better.

* * *

In the early morning hours a messenger arrived at the stable. He was in a rush and his horse deadbeat. The coachman was woken up, who then went to deliver the message to the princess.  No one else knew what had happened last night. Link’s pillow was still wet when he slowly awoke to the voice of the coachman behind the curtain.

“Your Highness. Excuse me, your highness?” Zelda was slowly opening her eyes too but Link beat her to the curtain. Behind it, he found the coachman with a scroll in his hand. He was clearly taken aback by Link’s unwelcoming face.

“It’s- it’s a message, sir. From the village. They have asked us to make haste. They wish for your arrival as soon as possible.” Link looked at the man and then the scroll. Without returning a word he closed the curtain and gave the message to Zelda.

Within ten minutes they had set off. Link and Zelda were both tired but couldn’t sleep and they hardly spoke a word during the trip. In her head Zelda went through every possible scenario that could be waiting for them. The closer they got to the village, the more anxious they grew.

A few hours after midday they crossed the flimsy bridge to Tarrey Town. Arriving at the town made Zelda sure something was truly wrong, as people eyed the cart but no one came to greet them. The two stepped out of the coach and just stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Zelda took in her surroundings. Tarrey Town was like no other settlement she had visited. In addition to being located on a strange looking, small but extremely tall island, what made the town look odd to her were the large, colourful buildings that it was full of. During the hundred years of chaos, it seemed that somehow architecture as an art form had still managed to develop quite a lot. 

Soon a door opened in one of the unusual looking houses. Out stepped a man with thick brown hair and an impressive mustache. He noticed Link and then Zelda, but instead of walking to them he waited for them to reach him. The man's eyes were red and swollen and he greeted them with a sorrowful look. It took a moment for anyone to say anything, but then the man spoke.

Link could see his mouth moving but all sound seemed to evade his ears. The man said something about his son, Malson was his name. Zelda covered her mouth with her hands. Their voices were replaced with humming and the world around Link became strange, dreamlike. The man looked down and tears dropped on his boots. What was going on? They were here to see the boy. Where was he?

Suddenly Hudson wrapped his short but thick arms around Link. The man sobbed against his shoulder for a moment and Link found himself hugging him back too. His eyes were unable to focus on anything. But where was the baby? 

After a while the man let him go and returned to the house and they were greeted by some other people. Link knew their faces but couldn't recall any names. Some hylians, a goron and a rito. A tall bald man, who he recognized as his friend, hugged him too. "Oh, darling." he thought he heard him say, but he wasn’t sure. Link saw Zelda glance at him as the bald man let him go, there were tears on her cheeks too. She walked over to him and Link felt her hand on his upper back. She said something but he couldn’t listen, there was too much happening at the same time. Where was the baby? He couldn’t be gone, they had just arrived to see him. Babies don't die. He was just born.

After a moment Zelda hugged all of the people once more. Then she gently took his arm, and started walking him somewhere, away from the people. To some house, the Inn it seemed. Link turned his head to see Hudson's house. The curtains were drawn.

Babies don't die _. _

Near the door of the inn Link's knees finally gave in. He took support from the edge of the house and slided down against the wall. Zelda gasped and tried to catch him, but he collapsed on the flowerbed. She spoke something but he didn’t understand.

"Talson." Link's eyes were wide.

"Is the baby dead?" he asked, squeezing Zelda's arms. 

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Link. I'm sorry."

The baby had died. His godson. Link searched around with his eyes, looking for something. Some kind of an answer. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. Zelda tried to take his hands, but he couldn't hold them. Not right now.

"He's dead." he whispered.

* * *

Link didn't even try to sleep that night. As soon as the other residents of the inn had settled down he got up and went out. The sky was clear and the weather beautiful. It felt disrespectful.

He thought about going behind the building to sit and think, but as he stepped down the Inn’s porch the goddess statue, located in the middle of the town square caught his eye. For a second he thought about kicking down the whole thing but instead he went and knelt in front of it. It wasn't out of respect, but of desperation and defeat. He rested his head on his hands and prayed in his mind.

_ Are you happy now? Have you taken enough now? Have I not played my part already? You took everyone- everything from me so that I could perform my duty. And I did it. If that was what you wanted, why do you still do this to me? First you tortured Zelda, you- you gave her the power when you knew it was already too late. You robbed us of our loved ones. Your people suffered and you did nothing. I'm trying to make it right, I’ve done nothing but tried to help these people, so why. Why did you take him from me? Malson, he was a child you sick piece of shit. A child. Your own child. _

The Inn's door opened. Link recognized the steps of the girl walking to him.

_ You bring him back. If you are out there and if you care at all you bring him back. This isn’t fair. If it’s me you want to punish you take that out on me. Tell me what it is that I have done so I can make it right but you- You have to bring him back. _

"Link?" He didn't lift his head. It was just too much.

_ I will show you my dedication, my belief, if that’s what you want. I’ll do anything you want me to. But you do not touch anyone. Any one of mine anymore. You leave them alone and you bring him back. _

“Li-” 

"Why do you have to follow me...” he shouted and took a few shaky breaths.

“...everywhere I go?" From under his brows he saw her ankles a few meters away. They took a step back.

"O- oh. I'm sorry. I thought… I'll leave you now." She returned and closed the door behind her. 

_ If you touch her I swear I will end myself and come for you. I already killed the devil, don’t think I can’t get you too.  _

The statue stood silent. Behind it, high up on the mountain, the citadel rose.

* * *

Closest friends of Hudson and his wife took the responsibility of organising the funeral. Zelda wanted to help too, if for nothing else, on behalf of Link as he didn’t seem able to perform any kind of work at the moment. Early in the morning she stepped out of the Inn. She was worried about him, he hadn’t returned for the whole night, however she resisted the urge to go look for him. She didn’t have to, though, because he appeared from behind the Inn almost immediately.

“Zelda.” His voice was hoarse. Before she could say anything he gently pulled her away from the other people.

“I…” He rubbed the back of his head.

“I’m so sorry.”

Zelda opened her mouth to explain that he didn’t need to be sorry and that it was her that should apologize. He cut her off.

“Please. Don’t stop following me. I really appreciate it.”

That made her feel a little better. In addition to the horrible news they received yesterday, she had spent the night worrying about him, and fearing he didn’t want to be around her anymore. 

“I won’t.” she said and Link nodded as a thank you. 

“Have you eaten anything during the last twenty four hours?” Zelda asked after a moment of consideration. She didn’t want to upset him again.

Link tried to think. They hadn’t had breakfast at the stable. He didn’t remember much of the rest of the day but was quite sure he didn’t have any meals.

“Care to join me for breakfast?” she asked. Eating felt repulsive but he knew he had to do it at some point. The fork felt heavy in his hand and so did the class. They didn’t speak much but it was hard for him to focus on the few things Zelda said. 

After eating they joined the other ones organising the funeral. Link hadn’t slept at all last night and the sunlight stung his eyes. Outside he avoided looking at the statue. He felt it’s presence though and it felt like it was mad at him. Zelda suggested Link to go get some sleep but he wouldn’t, and stood behind Zelda as she talked with the others. Bolson seemed to be the head of the plan, and he gave instructions to others. The happy and snarky energy Link remembered from Hateno Village was gone, and his eyes were tired as well. 

“Finally you Karson, you craft the coffin. Make it…” he sighed and rubbed his eyebrows.

“Make it small.” That seemed to kill the last bit of energy and liveliness he had left inside him.

“And you- I mean, your Highness. Could you, uhm... You look after him, okay?” Zelda nodded. Link was unsure if he heard correctly, after who? Zelda turned around and gave him a pitiful smile. Oh, for Her sake _. _

“Me? No, I’m fine.”

Zelda gave a faint laugh. She stroked his arm but Link grew furious.

“No, that’s not fair, I want to help. I have to. He’s… He’s my-” his voice cracked. The others had already left. He bent down to lean on his knees. 

“I know. I know. They know.” Zelda crouched down.

“And that’s why we need you to be able to be there for him.” 

Link allowed her to take him on a walk. They crossed the bridge and left the town and walked along the cliff of the ravine between mainland and the island Tarrey Town was located on. Soon he had to take a break and sit down. The tussock he sat on was wet but Zelda didn’t care, and settled next to him. A light rain came down but luckily they were under the cover of a thick oak tree. They sat there for a long time, long enough for the moisture to soak into Zelda’s cloak and boots. But she didn’t move, not even when her left leg was falling asleep, because after a while she could hear Link’s breath get steadier and feel his body relax. She wanted to shift her position so that he could lean his head on her shoulder but didn’t dare. Finally she laid her own head on his shoulder, against which he soon leaned his own. 

The rain stopped and was now washing over the town. The sun was gently peeking behind a cloud and created a beautiful rainbow high up in the sky. The sight comforted Zelda. She imagined that it was safe for Talson to leave now, alongside the rainbow. She didn’t know the couple whose child’s funeral she was organising and she had only met the father once. But she had heard from Link that they both helped him on his way to her, and he also in turn helped them. She imagined that if they were Link’s friends they were hers too.  It was so incredibly hard for her to see him like this. She wanted to hold him, give him a kiss on the forehead and support him, but wasn’t sure if that was what he needed right now. But she felt like she was helping just by sitting there and letting him lean on her while he slept. It was the least she could do. 

Link’s friend Bolson had talked to her and the others about a problem considering the funeral. Zelda believed he did this deliberately at the Inn in the morning because he saw Link wasn’t there. He had picked up on his condition and seemed to be worried about him as well. Talson, he was the first person to die on the island and there wasn’t an organised way to deal with the dead yet. There wasn’t enough room for a cemetery, but they couldn’t just bury him in someone's yard like a dog. They thought about cremating him, but (and this made Zelda feel especially sick) there wasn't a big or powerful enough furnace on the island to do that. The closest one would probably be a blacksmith’s furnace in one of the other towns of North-West Hyrule. And even if they found a place where cremation was possible, it would be hard for them to get the owner to allow putting an infant in there.

There weren't very many options though. Either they had to set up a cemetery outside the island, where the boy would lie alone far from his family, or then Zelda or Link had to warp to a nearby village with the Sheikah Slate and if given permission, warp back to collect the coffin. There was a lump in her throat because she knew it had to be her. She couldn’t- wouldn’t let Link go through that. There was also no way of knowing if the slate was powerful enough to warp both a person and the coffin. They would have to test that. 

The sun had started to paint the sky yellow when Link woke up. Zelda’s body was aching from sitting still for such a long time but she was happy he had been able to sleep. Once he had fully woken up, Link seemed to feel a little bit better. 

When they arrived back to the town Bolson requested to talk with Zelda alone for a moment. Her heart sank because she knew they had decided on the method of the burial. She wanted to cry when she heard he had had Karson make two caskets, one for testing the slate. It was all starting to be too much for her too. Her face was white when she stepped in the inn where Link was waiting around a bowl of soup. She knew she had to explain the situation to him, it was only fair that way. She should have waited for a moment longer though, she realized, as he put down his spoon and pushed the half-empty bowl away. He seemed to understand and his reaction was not as bad as Zelda had feared. The shock seemed to be slowly wearing off. 

Zelda had to completely shut off her emotions and thoughts as she was holding the little casket under her arm. It felt sickening and she knew the second time would be so many times worse. Link watched her dissolve into blue particles and then disappear. Both her and the casket were gone and he hoped everything went well. He felt embarrassed that it had to be her to take care of this business. Hudson and Rhondson were his friends and he was unable to help them at their worst moment. The situation had just somehow completely wrecked everything about him. He was hardly able to think, eat or sleep without even talking about feeling. He felt numb but unbearable pain at the same time. And he was sure the pain would only grow as he started to understand the situation better. 

Link had walked to the shrine overlooking the village on the mainland. It was a little ways away and he didn’t have to wait for long before Zelda’s figure materialized at the shrine’s pedestal. She had been crying, or was still. The coffin was intact under her arm, the same way it had been when she left. 

“Well?”

“The blacksmith in Zora’s Domain, he’ll do it.” she said and wiped her nose. Link offered to carry the coffin and she let him. They walked back in silence until they were almost at the gate where Link stopped.

“I need you to let me do this.” He had managed to get some confidence and strength back to his voice. Zelda looked at him with pity.

“I know you want to, I do. But I can’t-”

“Let him do it.” Both of them turned around to look at the gate where Hudson was standing. He wasn’t crying anymore but his face was still red and distorted. 

“He’s his godfather. Even though we never…” He took a few breaths. 

“No offence to your highness. But I’d like him to be there.” Zelda bit her lip but what could she do?

“Of course. Of course he will then be there.” She looked at Link who was as aware as she was how painful the trip was going to be.

* * *

The funeral took place the same evening. The sky was red now and dusk would settle in a few hours. The ceremony was held in front of the Goddess-statue, which made Link feel even worse. He remembered his plea the night before and it was quite evident now it was not going to be answered to. The ceremony had many other religious aspects to it but they felt hollow to him. To who were they addressed to? The Goddess of creation that had them bear a child only to take him away just weeks later? Was that a god they truly wanted to worship? 

Link avoided looking at the casket. He knew he’d have to hold it at some point and as honoured he was to be the one to send Talson on his final journey, he dreaded touching it with all his heart. It stood on a small table in front of a few rows of chairs. There was a lot of crying during the service but he didn’t hear a single thing Rhondson and Hudson. Rhondson was veiled with black garments made in Gerudo-fashion. Hudson was in his black suit and sat straight, holding tightly to his wife’s hand. The priest spoke with beautiful words and Link saw tears dropping from Zelda’s jawline to her lap. To him, they felt meaningless.

After some time, the service grew to a close and it was time for Link to do his part. The parents were crying now and Hudson had pressed his forehead against the top of the casket. He didn’t rush them at all, he felt like the longer they took the better. He was staring at their backs as he felt Zelda take his hand and squeeze it. 

“It’s going to be okay. You will do well.” Her words made him feel warmer and he wouldn’t have wanted her to let go, but saw Hudson turn around and carry the little coffin in his hands. He didn’t know what to say to them. Hudson handed the casket to him most gently and immediately Link felt like collapsing. It wasn’t heavy, which made everything even worse.

Hudson didn’t need him to say anything. He nodded, and Link did the same. Zelda handed him the Sheikah Slate, with the domain ready to be selected. The parents said the last goodbyes to their son and as much as Link tried to hold back his emotions, warm tears soon flowed down his cheeks. They talked to the boy, told him how loved he was and promised they would be together again. Hudson held his hand on top of the casket for some time, stroking it with his thumb. Soon Rhondson pulled him away gently and the man pressed his face against his wife’s chest. Link looked at Zelda, who nodded. He pressed the slate with his thumb and Tarrey Town started to fade away. 

* * *

Link sat next to Zelda after giving the urn to the parents. It was well past midnight but they guessed the time of day was meaningless in a situation like this. It was cold but they were perched on a cliff of the island, staring towards the sea. Neither of them felt like sleeping. 

“Poor souls. I never want to go through anything like that in my life.” Zelda whispered. Link agreed but felt like he didn’t even need to say it. Both of them had lost so much already, but what Hudson and Rhondson were experiencing felt inhumane. 

“It tears my heart. It makes me wonder if I ever want to have children of my own.” Link turned to look at her. 

“Well… I don’t think it’s like that for everybody.” he said.

“Yes, but there is always the risk. It makes me scared. I wouldn’t want to live a life where I have to be scared every day that something happens to them.”

“But it won’t. We made sure of that.” 

“Well…” Zelda waved her hand at Hudson and Rhondson's house. It made him feel angry because it was true. He was still unable to grieve, all he felt was anger. 

“This hasn’t made you scared of having a family?” she asked. That word made Link twitch. His mind was once again taken back to the one sided conversation with Hylia. To the threat he made.

“I don’t think so. Or rather that… I already was. But it’s a risk you have to take if you want that... You know. A family.” He took lots of pauses as he spoke and stroked his arm to comfort himself. This wasn’t a conversation that he would have been ready to have yet. At least not with her.

“So you do want a family some day?” Zelda asked and turned to look at him this time. It felt like the question knocked the wind out of him. She talked about it so casually, like it wasn’t the one thing he never got to experience but so badly wanted. 

“Yeah, probably. Some day.” Zelda raised her eyebrows. She seemed surprised by this.

“Is that so? I wouldn’t have guessed.” she said. What did that mean? He wasn’t family material? 

“Yeah. You?” Link said and glanced at her and held his breath. For some reason he had started bouncing his leg but stopped. Zelda bit her lip and while she thought, Link realised he didn’t want to know the answer. 

“I don’t know.” she said. Link felt disappointment flow through his body like cold water.

“Maybe. If I find someone pleasant enough to start it with.” she continued. They glanced at each other but moved their eyes quickly elsewhere. There was a moment of silence and Zelda swiped her hair behind her ears. Link took a minute to gather himself.

“Alright.” he managed to say.

* * *

The way to the village was long and silent. They paid their last condolences to the couple and started their journey early in the morning. Link didn’t seem as bored this time. He was deeply in his thoughts and probably couldn’t concentrate on anything even if he wanted to. Neither could Zelda. The books didn’t interest her and she too spent the day looking out the window.

Link held the Master Sword like a child hugging his toy. Zelda glanced at him and noticed he looked even more miserable than before. She wanted to say something, but didn’t know what. She couldn’t ask him if he was okay because of course he wasn’t. She also knew he didn’t like to talk about his feelings and thoughts so she didn’t want to force him. To her surprise, he broke the silence himself.

“Do you still pray?” he said, still looking out the window. Zelda was thrown aback by the question. It didn’t sound like something he would ask at all.

“Well, yes sometimes. Not as much as before.” His face was red and she could see little veins on his forehead and around his eyes. 

“Why?” he asked looked at her now and she wondered if he was going to cry. She didn’t know how to answer the question. Why does one pray? To show their dedication? To get in touch with something bigger than themself, or bigger than life itself? To find solace? Out of habit? Perhaps it was all of these reasons. She sighed and wondered.

“When I have no one else, I know She is always there. She always listens and cares. I find it… comforting. Why do you ask?” 

“Is She really there though? How can you be sure? And how can you know She cares?” his face was fierce.

“I… I-” Link didn’t give her a chance to answer.

“She abandoned us. She left us when we needed her the most. She let me die. She let Hudson and Rhondson have a child only to kill him. Does that sound like caring to you?” 

“Link.” she sighed. It felt wrong to talk about Her in that manner, but she didn’t want to scold him. 

“I don’t think it works like that. I don’t think She simply pulls people out of our world just because She can.”

“What does She do then? She doesn’t protect us, that’s for sure. She didn’t protect him.” Zelda fell silent. She wasn’t sure if arguing was the best thing to do. She hadn’t talked about religion with him before and it felt strangely intimate. The two sat in silence for a moment.

“I tried talking to Her, you know. I told Her that I was tired. And that if She was there and if She cared She would bring him back.” he continued. 

“Well, you know how that ended. I know She could do it but didn’t.”

“How do you know she can do that?” she asked. Link pointed at himself.

“I suppose She saved me.”   
  


“Ancient technology saved you, Link.” she said, but regretted it immediately. What this conversation had shown her was that his whole view on life was crumbling down and she should not argue, but try to console him. But the words were already out there and Link raised his voice.

“Then why do you pray? She doesn't care! And She is not going to save you! Or anyone.” he cried. Zelda was sure he wasn’t angry at her but still she felt miserable. She didn’t know how to answer that and stayed silent.

“Exactly.” Link said and resumed staring out the window.

* * *

Link didn’t say anything as he left Zelda when they arrived at Kakariko. She only noticed he was gone her as she walked up the stairs to Impa’s house. It took her a moment to notice the footsteps that usually followed her weren’t there. For a moment she thought about going after him, but decided against it. He had the right to disappear and have some time alone. Also she was drained from the trip and was ready to go to bed even though it was only early hours of the evening. She hoped it was the right decision, as his state of mind seemed unstable and the tendencies she had learnt he had worried her. 

She wanted to discuss it with Impa. She would have wanted to tell her everything, her thoughts and worries, but couldn’t. She was Link’s friend too and it wouldn’t be right to share his business with others. It was, however, getting quite tiring. The past days had been hard for her too, and she wondered if she was only protecting herself by worrying about him so much. She busied herself with caring for others so she didn’t have the time to feel the pain herself. As she told Impa what had happened in Tarrey Town, she was sure Impa knew there was something else bothering her, but didn’t ask. 

Panic crept up her spine as she later found their home empty. She had spent only about half an hour at Impa’s house, but she had expected that wherever Link went, he would be home by now. She wanted to respect his privacy but her anxieties told her to go look for him “Please don’t stop following me”, he had said, so in spite being weary she took her cloak and started wandering around the village, trying to figure out where he could be.

Her heart raced as place after place turned out empty. She had checked the shops, behind their house, small alleys and even the fairy fountain but saw no sign of him. Her next plan was asking around from people on the town’s square. Most people of Kakariko knew who he was, so had he been there, someone must have seen him. Before talking to anyone, she tried to calm herself. She couldn’t let people see her panicked or they would start worrying too, people might start talking. She cursed her mind, which always tended to expect the worst. He’s just on a walk somewhere, she told herself. He needs time. But it was her character to only believe things once she saw them. She noticed a man who she had many times seen loitering around the town square. He must’ve known everything that happened around there.

“Excuse me?” she asked. The man lifted his face from the canvas in front of him, annoyed about being disturbed.

“Yes?”

“I apologise for bothering you. I’m just looking for someone, I wondered if you have seen this man here today?” With shaking hands, she held up the Sheikah Slate with a pictograph of Link. Few things he hated more than being photographed, but she found it adorable. His little frown, that was captured in most of the pictures, as he realized she was taking his picture was hilarious to her. The man raised his eyebrows but frowned then and shook his head.

“So he’s gone missing now, huh?” Zelda was taken aback. How did he know that?

“No, he’s just… He didn’t tell me where he went and I’d like to talk to him.” She tried to sound reassuring but the man didn’t buy it. He sighed.

“Yes I’ve seen him. I think he might have left the village from the Northern gate. But that was around an hour ago and after that I’ve seen no sign of him.” Hair rose on Zelda’s neck. Forgetting her laid back facade she thanked him quickly and was about to start running towards the Northern gate. The man shook his head again. 

“I told him to work out his problems and now look at him. I pray to Goddess he’s okay.”

“What?” she said but the man had already resumed painting and didn’t seem like he wanted to repeat himself. Zelda decided it wasn’t worth her time and headed out the village with her heart in her throat.

She didn’t need to walk very far to see a spot the colour of the Champion’s tunic. She took a few jogging steps but stopped as she noticed the blue lump was not standing, nor sitting but in fact laying on the ground. Something strange happened in her mind as she stood there. She felt like her soul left her body and she observed herself from the outside. For a millisecond, she was unable to move, she didn’t want to go on. The moment was over as soon as it came and once the message had travelled from her eyes to her brain, she started running. She tried to shout his name but no sound came out. The few dozen meters she ran felt lasting like a lifetime. She felt stabs on her knees as she dropped down on them. 

Link’s eyes were closed and he didn’t move. Nothing made sense to her. She tried to remember everything she knew about helping someone in need but her mind wasn’t working. All she could think about was the all too familiar, mortifying fear of losing him. Fortunately there was no blood or any other concerning marks on him. Against everything she had ever learnt about first aid, she shook his body violently. 

The man flinched and blinked slowly. Zelda heard herself wail and for a moment she pressed her forehead against his arm, and relief washed over her body. He seemed a bit startled and tried to get up. Zelda lifted her head and took his between her hands, which were cold as ice and full of little veins. 

“What did you do? Look at me, Link. Have done something to yourself?” She shouted while tears poured down her cheeks. He blinked a few more times and frowned.

“What?”

“Have you done something to yourself? Did you take something?”

“What? No.” A quiet  _ Oh thank goodness  _ left Zelda’s lips and she pressed her forehead against his. It had, after all, been just her over reacting. But what she had witnessed at the stable had left her so shaken, she didn't blame herself.

“You scared me.” she whispered and held him for a moment. After a few deep breaths she let go of his head and let him compose himself.

“But what are you doing here?” she asked. Link glanced at her while wiping loose strands of hair from his face.

“I don’t- I don’t know.” he answered. Zelda opened her mouth. She wanted to ask more questions, to ask him to explain, but didn’t. The most important thing was that he was alive and at least somewhat in good condition.

* * *

Link was confused as he was shaken awake by hysterical Zelda. After trying to make sense of what she was saying he realized she thought he had hurt himself. It confused him even more but as he started to wake up better he could understand how she came to that conclusion. 

Arriving at Kakariko, his home, where his everyday life was, felt devastating. He didn’t want to go to his house, didn’t want to meet Impa, or anyone else. He didn’t even want to be around Zelda, not at the moment. The idea of warping to Hateno, just to be alone in his house, crossed his mind but the slate was hanging on Zelda’s hip. So he had left, without a thought in his mind about where he was going.

It wasn’t far-fetched for her to be worried. There was no future for him and he saw that now. There seemed to be something so primarily wrong about him that he was unworthy of having any good things in his life and it was evident now that the suffering, the pain that he just some time ago hoped was finally wearing off, would never end. It wouldn’t end until he ended it.

But hurting himself had never been in his direct mind, however. Not today, or at the stable. He had not realized he was deliberately hurting himself, he just wanted to focus on the cold water instead of his thoughts. It was silly for him to do that, back then he hardly knew what pain was. It had been his thoughts that plagued him, now he felt like his whole mind was shutting down. It didn’t have the strength, the resources to deal with what it was faced against.

So he walked out of the Northern gate of the village. What he had not realised was that this was the place the people of the Sheikah tribe buried their dead and it reminded him of everything he had lost, and would probably lose in the future. There he sat, not looking at the gravestones while trying to breathe, trying to trust that his heart would not stop beating, that he would not have a heart attack even though that was how it felt. 

Did he pass out or did he simply fall asleep out of exhaustion, he did not know but now he was being violently shaken awake. It wasn’t an honorable man’s behaviour to hurt himself, and least of all make someone else afraid for him, but that wasn’t what he had meant at all. Regardless, Zelda was there, crying, asking him what he had done. He had truly scared her and didn’t know how to console the weeping, hysterical girl. He tried to explain and to tell her everything was okay, but both of them were painfully aware how bad he was at lying.

* * *

There was something so familiar in suffering, Link found. He had regressed back to complete silence and only spoke to Zelda, with very few words and only when necessary. He had no sleeping pattern. Some days the only thing he could do was sleep, and some days he went completely without it. Somehow there were cups of rice or soup on his nightstand sometimes and when he could, he ate. 

He knew it was wrong. He had health, he had a life unlike all his family and friends, but he just couldn’t live it. Not at the moment. He didn’t even remember what he had filled his days with before but nothing interested him. He had no desire to work out, or even to go outside for that matter. Even thinking felt draining some days. The anger had finally turned into grief.

In his life he had never had a chance, never had time or understanding, to grieve. He had lost so much, he had lost almost everything and never had he grieved any of it. This was now rebounding upon him. Losing his godson had opened gates for the memories of every other loss to fill his mind. He was so loved. He had so many friends, for example the other Champions, who had loved him, he had a family that loved him. Never once did he say he loved them too. And he let them all down.

Maybe it was his mind protecting him, but after a few days of intolerable pain he went completely numb. He didn’t feel sadness but neither did he feel happiness, or anything, really. Zelda was so worried for him and from the bottom of his heart he wished he cared. He didn’t honestly even think about her much. All the feelings he might have had for her were now gone, hiding deep behind the layer of numbness. He knew for a fact that she was really important to him and that he might have even had a bit of a crush on her but his mind couldn't provide any kind of emotion. He laid in his bed and looked at her while she puttered around their house and wished he could cry.

In his dreams he saw his family. He remembered his sister better now. She was just a child when she died. He wondered if it had been fate that killed his family, if they needed to die for him to be able to perform his duty. After all, it was their death that had changed his life. It was the reason he was moved into the castle to train to become a knight. It was their death that made it possible for him to be there at the castle grounds that one afternoon when the guardian malfunctioned. Had they not died it would have been Zelda. It would have been all those people she saved during the hundred years of fighting Ganon, his family would have died anyway. Knowing this didn’t take away the pain. It didn’t give him the comfort of the unconditional love of a parent or the freedom and innocence of childhood. 

Almost a week had passed from the day they arrived at Kakariko and the days had gone in a blur. Most of them he had watched as Zelda did her little things, while laying in his bed, unable to do or say anything. The day had turned into a night and still he remained in bed. Zelda had made the most of the rainy day, she had cleaned, read, written some letters, all while chatting away at Link, who didn’t answer. When he thought Zelda was asleep already he reached under his mattress. There was a small pouch from which he pulled his second to last cigarette.

The rain was still coming down heavily and he sat on their porch. The cool air made the smoke look thicker and he followed it with his eyes while hugging his knees. It was hard to find a comfortable position to sit in, the days of laying down had made his back and shoulders stiff. Soon the floorboards creaked behind the door and Link heard movement. He sighed. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise Zelda had woken up, she would have found out eventually about his habit and he doubted she had the heart to yell at him now.

As he expected, the door soon opened. He lifted his head to look at her while blowing out smoke. He saw her mouth open slightly, but then close. He returned to staring at the rain and prepared himself for a lecture, but it didn’t come. She had two blankets, one on her shoulders and the other on her lap. She offered it to him and he nodded slightly as a thank you. She let it down on his shoulders and huddled next to him. They sat in silence for a moment but Link knew she was itching to comment on his smoking. He didn’t need to wait for long. 

“I had my suspicions. They stink more than you know.” He stared off into the distance and didn’t answer. He heard Zelda bite her nails and knew she hadn’t come here just to sit. He was aware they would have to talk at some point, or at least Zelda would make him promise to talk to her if needed to. He was lucky he had his cigarette to comfort him.

“Sorry that I always follow you.“ Zelda said after a while. Link wanted to say he didn’t mind but stayed silent instead. The longer he went without talking the harder it became.

“You scared me the other day. I-” she continued. Her voice was getting shaky and she took a few breaths.

“Can you promise me? I know you are in pain right now but please, please promise me you never do anything to yourself.”

Link looked at her. She looked so worried, her lip was trembling. Of course, he wanted to say. Of course he would never do anything to himself, if it would cause her pain. She had done so much to keep him alive, so even though he might want to, he could never take that away from her. He couldn’t do to her what his parents did to him. She touched his hand which brought him back from his thoughts. He nodded and she answered with a small smile. 

“Good.” 

They stared at the rain and the cigarette rattled quietly as Link breathed through it. He was glad she was here, her constant chattering kept him from drowning too deep into his thoughts. 

“I know you hate talking. I know that it might be the last thing you want to do but when the time comes, I will listen. I will always be here.” she said after a moment. She was right, he did not want to open up, not a bit. He appreciated that she didn’t force him though, that she always let him sit silently and didn’t seem too bothered about it. He nodded and she seemed pleased enough. There was one thing he wanted to say, however, and gathered his courage for a while. He took a deep breath.

“You don’t need to be worried about me. I’ll be fine.” he whispered, it was the best he could do. It seemed it surprised her a little. She waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.

“Oh, Link.” her voice was quiet as well.

“I know you will. But I can’t promise you that I can ever stop worrying about you. For a hundred years it was the only thing I did. It was the only thing I could do because I-” She paused and looked at him.

“You are very dear to me. And I can’t stop caring for you.” Link brought his free hand over his eyes. She saw him adjusting his chin and realised it was exactly the same way he did back in the grass at Hyrule Field, when they cried together. It was hard for her to bear.

“I’m so sorry. Please-” she placed her hand on his shoulder. She wanted to console him but knew endearment was hard for him. 

“May I hug you?” she asked. 

“Please.” He whispered. 

It was awkward at first. She tried to wrap her arms around him but because he was hugging his knees, couldn’t. After a moment of struggle Link threw the stub into the rain and straightened his legs. Zelda was started at this and thought he wanted her to back off, but instead he raised his arm and made room for her under his blanket. After she had found a comfortable position he lowered his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. Soon she gathered enough courage to lean against him.

Link closed his eyes. For a moment his heart beat faster and he felt butterflies in his stomach. How much good did the touch of another person do to one’s soul. He felt her lean her head against his chest and feared she would hear his heart pumping rapidly. He wished this could have happened differently, he wished they had done this before their trip to Tarrey Town. Or even before the calamity, before the prophecy of Ganon’s return. He wished he could hold her when everything was okay and when he could feel all the emotions her touch would cause. But when she leaned herself on him and he stroked her arm with his thumb, he felt better. He could focus his thoughts on the moment, on her, and being alive was a little bit easier. 


End file.
